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GEOGKAPHICAL  AND  INDUSTRIAL  STUDIES 


ASIA 


BY 

NELLIE  B.  ALLEN 


GF  N  AND  COMPANY 

BOSTON     •    ;    KW   YORK    •    OHKIAGO    ■     LONDON 
ATLANTA    •         ^  LLAS    •    COLUMBUS     •     SAN   FKANCISCO 


68839 


KNTKREU   AT    STATIONKRS'  HALL 


COPYRIGHT,  1916,  BY 
NELLIE  B.  ALLEN 


ALL   BIGHTS    RESERVED 
524.7 


ICfte    gtftengum    jgregg 

GINN  AND  COMPANY-  PRO- 
PRIETORS •  BOSTON  •  U.S.A. 


^ 


PREFACE 


The  aim  of  the  writer  has  been  to  make  the  Far-Eastern 

continent  of  Asia  mean  more    to  the  readers  of  this  book 

^      than  a  collection  of  colored  areas,  a  series  of  names,  or  a 


"^    maze  of  dots  and  lines. 


"tr        The   locating   of  black   dots  and  wiggly  lines  with  no 

.i\c^  mental  pictures  of  the  real  places  fen-  which  they  stand, 

and  the  memorizing  of  lists  of  products  only  to  forget  the 

country  to  which  each  belongs,  is  the  geography  of  the 

past.    Modern  geography  is  alive.    Tlie  up-to-date  teacher 

K  deals   with  real  people,   real  industries,  real  places,  and 

^    i-eal  relations.     The  uneven  lines  are  mighty  rivers  filled 

with  craft,  furnishing  water  for  irrigation,  and  power  for 

Hghting  and  manufacturing.   The  black  dots  are  large  cities 

\    crowded  with  busy  workers  whose  lives,  homes,  and  oc- 

\    cupations   are  as  real  as  those  by  which  the  pupils  are 

surrounded. 

The  world  is  bound  together  by  ties  of  close  relationship, 
boundaries  are  changing,  and  countries  heretofore  closed 
to  outside  nations  are  opening  their  doors  to  the  great 
world  life  and  are  entering  into  commerce  and  trade. 

As  the  United  States  has  readied  fartlusr  and  farther  into 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  Asia  has  come  correspondingly  nearer, 
and  our  future  relations  with  this  great  continent  may  be 
as  close  and  as  vital  as  those  which  at  present  exist  between 
our  country  and  Europe. 


vi  ASIA 

Tlif  pupils  of  the  grammar  grades  should  have  a  broad 
know  It'd^c  oi'  these  densely  po[)ulat('d  countries  across  the 
Paeilie ;  a  better  appriM-iation  of  tiie  skill,  industry,  and. 
thrift  of  the  peoples  ;  a  keen  realization  of  the  fact  that 
many  prculucts  which  add  to  our  (hiily  conifoit  are  due  to 
the  labor  of  Eastern  nations;  and  a  sympathetic  under- 
standiug  of  the  lives,  customs,  and  ideals  of  these  millions 
of  Orientals.  'They  should  know  something  of  those  historic 
lands  whicli  foi'nied  the  Cradle  of  the  Race;  of  the  vast 
deserts  which  have  been  as  great  a  barrier  to  connnunica' 
tion  as  have  the  mountain  ranges ;  of  tliose  political  ques( 
tions  which  may  involve  great  nations  in  war;  of  the 
influence  of  European  nations  in  the  East ;  of  the  lands 
now  under  their  control  and  of  the  work  which  they  are 
doing  to  develop  the  resources  of  their  Eastern  possessions. 

The  greatest  continent  in  tlui  world,  the  most  densely 
peopled  areas,  and  the  most  abundant  resources  are  found 
in  Asia.  The  attitude  of  our  future  citizens  (wlio  are  at 
present  in  the  schools)  toward  the  many  (piestions  which 
will  arise  between  the  United  States  and  the  awakening 
nations  of  the  East  will  be  a  matter  of  vital  im])ortance  to 
our  country  in  the  coming  years. 

Because  of  the  interest  in  descriptive  geography,  loca- 
tional  geography  is  sf)metimes  neglected.  The  maps  and 
the  questions  and  lists  given  at  the  ends  of  the  chapters 
are  intended  for  drills  to  fix  in  mind  places  and  facts  of 
importance. 

Thanks  are  due  to  the  following  individuals  and  firms 
for  their  valuable  assistance  in  the  shape  of  suggestions, 
criticisms,  photographs,  and  other  material:  K.  Asakawa, 
Yale  University ;  A.  B.  Bacon,  Oriental  Rug  Department, 


PREFACE  vii 

Chandler  and  Co.,  Boston ;  Mr.  B.  E.  Baker,  Corona  Kid 
Mfg.  Co.,  Boston ;  Honorable  James  Bryce ;  G.  H.  Cara- 
gulian,  Boston ;  Revillion  Freres,  Furriers,  New  York ; 
Kametaro  lijima,  Consul  General  of  Japan;  Mr.  F.  A.  Lucas, 
Director  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York  City ;  Mr.  C.  L.  Preston,  Riga,  Russia ;  Quill- 
Jones,  Rug  Collector  and  Connoisseur ;  Mr.  Schubert,  Tash- 
kend,  Turkestan ;  Frederick  A.  Shattuck,  Principal  of 
Model  Schools,  Willimantic,  Connecticut ;  William  Morgan 
Shuster,  ex-Treasurer-General  of  Persia ;  J.  H.  Snodgrass, 
Consul  General,  Moscow,  Russia ;  William  H.-  Ukers,  Tea 
and  Coffee  Trade  Journal,  New  York ;  Professor  M.  S. 
Yorperian,  Euphrates  College,  Turkey  ;  Imperial  Commer- 
cial INIuseum,  Tokyo,  Japan ;  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions ;  departments  of  government,  Washmgton,  D.C. ; 
American  and  Asiatic  consuls ;  officials  of  the  Public 
Library,  Boston  ;  officials  of  the  Public  Library,  Fitchburg, 
Massachusetts. 

NELLIE  B.  ALLEN 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTKR  TAa 

I.  Introduction 1 

II.  The  Land  ok  Great  Waterways 9 

III.  Chinese  Farms  and  Farmers 51 

IV.  Tea  Farms  and  Tea  Drinkers 75 

V.  Tibet  and  Turkestan 88 

VI.  Among  the  Mongols 109 

VII.   Manchuria,  Giant  Russia,  and  Little  Japan  ....  121 

VIII.   A  Trip  on  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad 143 

IX.  Central  Asia  and  its  People 178 

X.  Life  on  the  Plateau  of  Iran 212 

XI.  Peoples  of  Western  Asia 242 

XII.  India  —  the  Land  and  the  People 276 

XIII.  Some  Indian  Cities 296 

XIV.  Indian  Farms  and  Factories 327 

XV.  Ceylon,  the  Pearl  of  India 339 

XVI.  Beyond  the  Bay  of  Bengal .  351 

XVII.  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun 379 

XVIII.  City  and  Country  Life  in  Japan 388 

XIX.  Silkworms  and  Silk  Manpfactures 413 

XX.  Formosa  and  Kokka 423 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 435 

INDEX 437 

viii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIGURE  PAGE 

The  Desert Frontispiece 

1.  Human  Burden-Bearers 3 

2.  Ruins  of  Ancient  Cities 4 

3.  A  Water  Carrier 6 

4.  Signs  in  a  Cliinese  Street 10 

5.  Water  Population  in  Cliina 13 

6.  A  Cliinese  Wheelbarrow 17 

7.  A  Street  Scene  in  China 19 

8.  Coolies  handling  Freight 20 

9.  The  Foreign  Settlement  of  Shanghai 23 

10.  Coolies  unloading  Tea  at  Hankow 29 

11.  The  Gate  of  Peking 34 

12.  Plan  of  Peking 36 

13.  A  Peking  Cart 37 

14.  Many  Chinese  live  and  eat  in  the  Street 39 

15.  Chinese  Barbers 40 

16.  Cormorant  Fishing 43 

17.  A  Street  in  Hongkong 45 

18.  Hongkong  has  Modern  Conveniences 46 

19.  Rice  Fields  showing  Earth  Banks 55 

20.  A  Child  riding  a  Buffalo ,56 

21.  Plowing  a  Rice  Field 58 

22.  Threshing  Grain 59 

23.  Combing  Rice (iO 

24.  Pounding  Kicc (il 

25.  Grinding  (irain  in  Northern  China (i3 

26.  A  School  in  China (i8 

27.  Tea  Shrubs  and  Rice  Fields 77 

28.  Rolling  Tea  Leaves 79 

29.  Cliinese  Graves 82 

30.  Buildings  in  China  have  Curving  Roofs 83 

31.  A  Caravan  outside  the  Walls  of  Peking 84 

ix 


X  ASIA 

FIGURE  PAGE 

32.  Inhabitants  of  Tibet Ill 

33.  A  Tibetan  Tea  Clnnn 03 

34.  Coolies  carrying  Tea 1)4 

35.  A  Prayer  Wheel 96 

36.  A  Tibetan  and  his  Yak 98 

37.  Threshing  Grain  in  Turkestan 104 

38.  Winnowing  Grain 105 

39.  Farmers  riding  to  Market 106 

40.  A  Chinese  Conveyance 110 

41.  Camel  Carts  from  Mongolia Ill 

42.  The  Great  Wall  of  China 112 

43.  Chinese  Wheelbarrow  in  Mongolia 115 

44.  Tents  of  the  Mongols 117 

45.  The  Mongol  moves  often 118 

46.  Plowing  in  Manchuria 128 

47.  A  Street  in  Dairen 130 

48.  Difficulties   of  Travel  in  Manchuria 131 

49.  Shipping  Beans  from  a  Manchurian  Port VS3 

50.  A  View  of  Mukden 134 

51.  A  Manchurian  Home 137 

52.  Using  Chopsticks ' 138 

53.  Chelyabinsk      144 

54.  A  Sledge  Team  in  Sakhalin 146 

55.  Russian  Emigrants  at  Chelyabinsk 147 

56.  A  Scene  on  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad 148 

57.  A  Station  on  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad 149 

58.  A  Siberian  Village 151 

59.  House  of  a  Siberian  Peasant 153 

60.  A  Mammoth 155 

61.  A  Russian  Tarantas      . 158 

62.  The  Sledge  of  a  Wealthy  Russian 161 

63.  Ermine  Skins  from  Siberia 167 

64.  Railway  Station  in  Vladivostok 1 74 

65.  Highway  over  the  Dariel  Pass 181 

66.  Oil  Wells  on  Fire  near  Baku 185 

67.  A  Caravan  on  the  Desert 191 

68.  Coppersmiths  at  Work  in  a  Bazaar 194 

69.  Silversmiths  in  the  Bazaars  of  Bokhara 195 

70.  A  Desert  Dweller ....  196 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xi 

FIGURE  PAGE 

71.  Hides  and  Skins  in  Central  Asia 197 

72.  A  City  in  Turkestan 200 

73.  An  Araba 202 

74.  Traveling  in  Turkestan 203 

75.  Transportation  in  Turkestan 204 

76.  A  Town  in  the  Desert 216 

77.  A  View  of  Tabriz 218 

78.  The  Coppersmiths'  Lane 219 

79.  A  Desert  Scene 221 

80.  A  Nomad  tending  his  Sliee]) 225 

81.  A  Persian  Village 228 

82.  Making  Butter  in  Persia 230 

83.  A  Winter  Day  in  Persia ". 231 

84.  A  Beggar 233 

85.  The  Great  Square  in  Teheran 235 

86.  A  Baluchi  Village 238 

87.  The  Shell  of  a  Pearl  Oyster 243 

88.  Reed  Huts  of  the  Arabs 245 

89.  Splendid  Horsemanship  on  the  Desert 247 

90.  Ruins  in  Mesopotamia 248 

91.  Gooffas  on  the  Tigris  River 251 

92.  The  Muezzin  in  the  Minaret 253 

93.  A  Swift  Camel 256 

94.  Packing  Figs  in  Smyrna 259 

95.  A  Letter  Writer  in  the  Bazaar  at  Damascus 261 

96.  A  Peasant  working  in  the  Field 263 

97.  A  Street  in  Jerusalem 265 

98.  The  Via  Dolorosa 266 

99.  The  Well  at  Nazareth 267 

100.  An  Encampment  of  Bedouins 268 

101.  A  View  of  Aden 271 

102.  A  Crowd  of  Hindus 277 

103.  A  Street  in  India 279 

104.  Scene  in  an  Indian  Village 280 

105.  A  Well  in  India 285 

106.  Potters  with  their  Wares 287 

107.  A  Village  Potter  at  Work 289 

108.  Washermen  at  Work  in  the  River 290 

109.  A  Village  Barber 292 


xii  ASIA 

FIGURE  PAGE 

110.  Bombaj%  the  Eye  of  India 298 

111.  The  Native  Quarter  of  Bombay 297 

112.  Co\v.s  connected  with  Iliiulu  Ti'iiipU's 299 

118.  Snake  Charmer.s 800 

114.  Victoria  Railroad  Station  in  limiiliay 302 

115.  Tower.s  of  Silence 303 

110.  The  Chowringhee.  the  Finest  Street  in  Calcutta 300 

117.  A  View  of  Simla 308 

118.  Darjeeling 309 

119.  The  Khyber  Pas.s    . 311 

120.  Weaving  Shawls  in  Kashmir 314 

121.  The  Main  Street  (.f  Delhi 315 

122.  The  Taj  Mahal 317 

123.  Worshipers  at  a  Temple  in  India 319 

124.  The  Biusket  Trick 321 

125.  The  Bank  of  the  Ganges  a(  Benares 323 

120.  Funeral  Fires  at  Benares 324 

127.  A  View  of  Calcutta 328 

128.  A  Poppy  Field 329 

129.  The    Shore  of  Ceylon 340 

130.  A  Street  in  Colombo 341 

131.  The  "Black  Town"  of  ColoiiilH) 342 

132.  Picking  Coconuts 345 

133.  Preparing  Cinnamon  Bark 347 

134.  Reaping  a  Rice  Field 353 

135.  Elephants  at  Work  in  a  l.umber  Yard 357 

136.  Elephants  bathing  in  the  River 358 

137.  A  Burmese  Child 359 

138.  A  Burmese  Picnic 300 

139.  A  Boat  on  the  Irrawaddy  River 301 

140.  A  Teakwood  Raft  on  the  Irrawaddy  River 362 

141.  A  School  in  Siam 365 

142.  House  Boats  at  Bangkok 366 

143.  A  Village  in  Siam 368 

144.  Buffaloes  Bathing '  .    .  370 

145.  Pounding  Rice 372 

146.  Two  Japanese  Maidens 379 

147.  A  Common  Sight  in  Japan 380 

148.  Coaling  a  Ves.sel  at  Nagasaki 383 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

FIGURE  PAGE 

149.  Ainus  in  their  Dugouts 384 

150.  A  View  of  Fujiyama 389 

151.  A  Street  in  Yokoliama 391 

152.  Interior  of  a  Japanese  House 392 

153.  Tlie  Floors  are  covered  with  Mats 393 

154.  Schoolhouse  in  Japan 394 

155.  Japanese  Coolies 396 

156.  Planting  Rice  Fields 397 

157.  Cherry  Trees  in  Japan 399 

158.  Under  the  Wistaria 400 

159.  Lantern-Makers  at  Work 402 

160.  Tea  Pickers 406 

161.  Painting  Chinaware 408 

162.  Silkworms •  414 

163.  Cutting  Mulberry  Leaves 415 

164.  A  Japanese  Doorway 417 

165.  Trays  of  Silkworms 418 

166.  A  Filature  in  Japan 419 

167.  Preparing  Raw  Silk  for  Shipping 420 

168.  Interior  of  a  Silk  Mill 421 

169.  A  Camphor  Tree 425 

170.  A  Twig  from  a  Camphor  Tree 426 

171.  A  Street  in  Korea 428 

172.  A  View  of  Seoul 430 

173.  A  Street  in  Seoul 431 

174.  A  Bullock  loaded  with  Wood 4.32 

175.  Plowing  in  Korea 433 


LIST  OF  MAPS 

Asia 1 

The  Chinese  Republic  and  Korea 8 

Siberia  and  Central  Asia 142 

The  Plateau  of  Iran 212 

Western  Asia       242 

Southern  Asia 276 

The  Japanese  Kinpire 378 


Something  is  to  be  learned  from  every 
book.  —  Old  Chinese  Proverb 


ASIA 

CHAPTER  T 
INTRODUCTION 

We  are  going  to  travel  in  Asia,  the  largest  continent  in 
the  world.  It  is  larger  than  all  the  lands  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere  and  stretches  from  the  desolate  arctic  shores 
almost  to  the  equator.  Its  northern  plains  are  so  cold  as 
to  be  uninhabitable,  and  its  vast  deserts  are  too  barren  to 
support  life,  yet  other  parts  are  so  crowded  that  there  are 
more  people  in  Asia  than  in  all  the  rest  of  the  world. 

The  loftiest  mountains  on  earth,  the  Himalayas,  lie  in  the 
southern  part  of  Asia.  They  are  only  a  few  degrees  from  the 
equator,  yet  they  are  so  high  that  their  heads  are  always 
covered  with  snow.  Just  north  of  this  "  roof  of  the  world  " 
are  great  stretches  of  desert  land  where  for  miles  no  life 
can  be  found.  To  the  east  and  south  are  immense  plains  so 
rich,  so  well  watered,  and  so  fertile  that  more  people  live 
on  them  than  on  an  equal  area  in  any  other  continent. 

Asia  contains  not  only  the  highest  mountains,  the  greatest 
deserts,  and  the  most  thickly  peopled  areas  to  be  found 
anywhere  m  the  world,  but  it  has  also  some  of  the  longest 
rivers.  These  flow  northward  from  the  great  deserts,  east 
ward  across  the  wide  plains,  and  southward  from  the  lofty 
mountains.    Some  of  them,  winding  slowly  through  fertile 

1 


2  ASIA 

tit'lds,  are  lilli'd  witli  boats  carrying  food  and  clotliiiig-  prod- 
ucts to  crowded  cities.  Others,  rushing  down  steep  slopes, 
overflow  fields  and  towns,  flood  crops,  and  drown  people. 
In  the  future  this  tremendous  power,  which  now  destroys 
]\\'o  and  property,  will  be  harnessed  and  made  to  move  the 
machinery  in  great  factories,  turn  mill  wheels,  and  light 
crowded  cities. 

.Make  a  list  of  the  twenty-livc!  largest  cities  in  the  woi'ld, 
and  >()U  will  find  that  more  than  a  third  of  them  are  in. 
Asia.  Besides  these  there  are  dozens  of  others  each  con- 
taining more  than  a  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  They 
are  (jueer  cities  with  narrow  streets,  low  houses,  crowded 
bazaars,  veiled  women,  tnrbaned  men  and  boys,  water  car- 
riers, street  barbers,  and  human  steeds  and  burden-l)earers. 

Some  of  the  largest  and  fiercest  animals  of  the  world 
live  in  Asia.  We  shall  see  huge  elephants  carrying  heavy 
lumber  and  dragging  small  plows.  We  shall  hear  dreadful 
tales  of  the  terrible  man-eating  tigers,  which  are  sometimes 
bold  enough  to  enter  villages  and  carry  people  off.  We  shall 
see  snake-charmers  playing  soft  music  for  their  ugly  pets, 
and  we  shall  learn  wdiat  great  numbers  of  natives  die  each 
year  from  snake  bites. 

Asia  is  big  in  many  respects,  and  it  is  as  old  as  it  is 
great.  It  is  the  cradle  of  the  race.  From  western  Asia  the 
earliest  peoples  migrated  eastward  into  China,  southward 
into  Africa,  and  westward  into  Europe.  We  shall  see  relics 
of  these  old  civilizations,  we  shall  enter  temples  in  which 
people  have  worshiped  for  thousands  of  years,  and  we  shall 
travel  over  deserts  where  to-day  no  life  is  found,  but  where 
piles  of  stones,  crumbling  ruins,  and  sand-choked  canals  tell 
us  that,  ages  ago,  great  cities  flourished  there. 


INTRODUCTION  3 

In  our  present-day  civilization  we  use  many  things  for 
which  we  are  indebted  to  these  people  of  ancient  times. 
From  their  queer  old  libraries,  made  up  of  carvings  on 
sun-dried  brick  and  stone,  we  have  learned  much  concern- 
ing these  early  nations.    To  them  we  owe  the  invention  of 


FiG.l.    We  shall  sek  Human  Bukuen-Beaueks 

the  al[)habet,  of  printing,  of  gunpowder,  and  of  silk  maini- 
facture.  Our  mathematicians  can  build  on  the  foundation 
they  laid,  our  astronomers  can  rely  on  many  of  their  calcu- 
lations and  pr('di{;tious,  and  our  engineers  can  build  no 
greater  works  than  tlie  inigation  systems,  canals,  and  giant 
walls  which,  for  thousands  of  years,  have  been  the  won- 
dci-  of  the  world.  Some,  (»f  tlicir  industi'ies  also  are  such 
that  no  Westei-n  nation  has  cwr  iMjualc'd  tlunn.     No  such 


4  ASIA 

wonderful  rugs,  soft,  lasting  dyes,  delicate  embroideries, 

and  tine,  dainty  carvings  are  made  in  any  other  continent. 

Asia  is  the  birthplace  of  the  great  religions  of  the  world. 

It  is  tlip  home  of  Hnddliists  and  Rrahmahs,  who  make  up 


©  Uiiiierwood  i  Underwood 

Fig.  2.   Where  to-day  No  Life  is  found  there  are  Ruins  of  Large 
Cities,  Beautiful  Temples,  and  Irrigating  Canals 

about  a  tliird  of  the  human  race,  and  of  millions  of  Moham- 
medans, who  are  scattered  in  every  country.  In  the  western 
part  of  the  continent  we  shall  travel  in  lands  where  the 
scenes  took  place  which  are  told  of  in  the  Bible  stories. 


INTEODUCTION  5 

Asia  is  as  rich  as  it  is  great  and  old.  It  is  rich  not  only 
in  the  skill  and  industry  of  the  people,  but  in  material  re- 
sources —  in  stores  of  minerals,  in  great  rivers,  in  limitless 
forests,  and  in  fertile  plains.  You  remember  that  it  was 
to  obtain  the  riches  of  eastern  Asia  —  the  gems,  the  spices, 
the  gums,  and  the  rich  silks  —  that  Columbus  set  out  on 
his  search  for  India.  His  theory  was  correct,  and  if  North 
and  South  America  had  not  lain  in  his  way,, he  could  have 
reached  India  by  sailing  west  as  easily  as  Vasco  da  Gama, 
the  great  Portuguese  explorer,  did  by  traveling  east. 

In  the  early  days  of  trade,  quantities  of  goods  reached 
Europe  by  sea,  river,  and  overland  routes.  The  Italian 
cities  of  Venice  and  Genoa  were  the  centers  of  this  com- 
merce, and  eastward-bound  vessels  sailed  through  the  Medi- 
terranean, carrying  metal  goods,  wine,  glassware,  and 
woolen  and  linen  cloth.  These  goods  were  taken  overland 
to  cities  in  western  Asia.  To  these  centers  merchants, 
bringmg  silk,  cashmere  cloth,  perfumes,  gems,  and  spices, 
traveled  hundreds  of  miles  on  weary  caravan  journeys. 
Venice  and  Genoa  had  become  the  greatest  seaports  of 
the  world,  and  the  commerce  of  the  East  had  grown  to 
immense  proportions,  when  it  came  suddenly  to  an  end. 
The  Mohammedan  hordes  from  the  desert  regions  of  Asia 
poured  over  the  lands  to  the  west,  conquering  and  pillag- 
ing them.  Every  Christian  was  an  object  of  attack.  The 
Mohammedans,  scouring  the  Mediterranean,  captured  and 
destroyed  the  ships  of  Christian  merchants,  robbed  their 
caravans,  and  closed  their  trade  routes  through  western 
Asia.  It  was  at  this  time  that  European  nations  began 
their  search  for  a  water  route  to  India  and  the  East, 
with  the  result  that  Columbus  discovered  a  continent  and 


ASIA 


Vasco  (la  (iania  louiuletl  the  Cape  of  (iooil  Hope,  crossed 
the  Iiuliaii  <  )(i'aii.  and  reached  what  is  now  the  great  city 

of  Calcutta. 

If  you  were  to  jour- 
ney through  this  won- 
derful land,  you  would 
hear  more  languages 
than  you  ever  knew 
existed,  you  would 
smell  more  bad  odors 
than  ever  before  en- 
tered your  nostrils, 
and  you  would  have 
to  struggle  with  more 
hard  names  than  you 
ever  yet  tried  to  pro- 
nounce. You  would 
have  to  do  many  queer 
things  and  to  get  along 
with  few^  comforts.  In 
entering  a  house  you 
would  remove  your 
shoes  but  keep  on  your 
1  lat.  In  some  countries 
you  would  squat  on 
your  heels  like  the 
Hindus,  and  in  others 
you  would  sit  cross- 
legged  like  the  Turks. 
The  girls  would  probably  go  barefooted,  but  they  would 
keep  their  faces  veiled  and  would  go  about  in  public  very 


(C  InrUrw  (lod  &  Underwood 

Fig.  3.   Yor  will  bk  okligkh  to  drink 
Watkk  out  ok  a  Skin  Bag 


INTRODUCTION  7 

little.  They  would  enjoy  few  picnics  or  merrymakings, 
but  would  spend  much  of  their  time  at  home.  The  boys 
might  go  to  school,  but  while  there  they  would  make  a 
great  deal  of  noise  by  studying  aloud.  You  would  live 
m  houses  which  have  no  chairs  or  tables,  eat  without 
knives  or  forks,  and  travel  much  of  the  time  where  there 
are  no  railroad  trains  or  electric  cars.  In  some  countries 
you  would  sleep  by  day  and  travel  by  night.  You  would 
have  to  endure  the  aw^ful  heat  of  the  torrid  zone  and  the 
biting  cold  of  northern  lands  and  of  high  mountain  regions. 
You  would  be  obliged  to  drink  lukewarm  water  out  of  a 
skin  bag,  be  blinded  with  dust  in  a  desert  sandstorm,  and 
be  sore  in  every  bone  of  your  body  from  the  motion  of 
the  camel  which  carried  3"0u. 

We  must  lay  aside  for  a  time  our  Western  ideas  and  try 
to  see  with  the  eyes  of  the  far-seeing  Japanese,  to  think 
with  the  mind  of  the  brilliant,  thoughtful  Hindu,  and  to 
toil  with  the  hands  of  the  hard-working  Cliinese.  As  we 
become  better  acquainted  with  these  people,  we  realize 
what  a  great  future  lies  before  them.  There  are  such  num- 
bers of  them,  many  of  them  are  so  intelligent  and  so  indus- 
trious, their  land  is  so  big  and  so  rich,  that,  when  they  are 
once  started  on  the  road  to  progress,  no  one  knows  how 
far  they  will  go.  They  are  our  neighbors  across  the  Pacific  ; 
our  trade  and  commerce  will  increase  as  they  progress,  for 
they  need  many  things  which  we  produce  and  manufacture 
and  which  we  shall  be  glad  to  send  them  in  exchange  for 
the  goods  for  which  the  countries  of  Asia  are  noted.  In 
the  future  we  shall  be  closely  connected  with  these  people 
of  the  East,  and  the  more  we  know  of  them  and  their  land 
the  better  friends  we  shall  be. 


ASIA 

TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 
I 


1.  The  great  size  of  Asia. 

2.  Surface  and  drainage. 

3.  Asiatic  cities. 

4.  The  animals  of  Asia. 

5.  Early  peoples  and  cities. 

6.  The  religions  of  the  East. 

7.  The  resources  of  Asia. 

8.  Ancient  trade  routes. 

9.  Colundms  and  Vasco  da  (lama. 

10.  Strange  sights  and  customs. 

11.  The  future  of  Asia. 


II 


1.  Name  the  continents  in  the  order  of  their  size.  AN'hich  is  the 
most  densely  jtopulated?    the  nu)st  thinly  settled? 

2.  Sket<*h  a  map  of  Asia.  Show  the  countries  and  the  surrounding 
waters. 

3.  Name  the  rivers  of  Asia  that  flow  north  ;  east;  south. 

4.  Tell  the  waters  through  which  Vasco  da  Gama  sailed  on  his 
voyage  to  Calcutta. 

5.  What  great  achievement  of  the  present  time  is  having  as  great 
an  effect  on  the  trade  routes  of  the  world  as  the  closing  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  Red  seas  by  the  Turks  had  on  ancient  routes? 


Ill 

Be  alile  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  the  chapter. 

Himalaya  Mountains  Venice 

Arctic  Ocean  Genoa 

Indian  Ocean  Calcutta 

Pacific  Ocean  India 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  Portugal 

Mediterranean  Sea  China 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS 

An  old  Chinese  proverb  says,  "  One  seeing  is  better  than 
a  thousand  telling  you  of  it."  This  is  true  of  any  strange 
land,  but  for  us  it  is  especially  true  of  China,  as  that  coun- 
try  is  very  different  in  many  ways  from  the  United  States, 
and  the  customs  of  the  people  are  often  the  opposite  of  ours. 
]\Iany  of  them  seem  to  us  very  queer  indeed,  but  we  must 
remember  that  our  manners  and  customs  seem  just  as  queer 
to  the  Chinese.  In  greeting  a  friend,  a  Chinaman  shakes 
his  own  hand  instead  of  that  of  the  other;  when  in  mourn- 
ing, he  dresses  in  white  rather  than  in  black.  The  finest 
present  which  a  Chinese  boy  can  give  his  father  is  a  coffin ; 
he  would  hke  this  gift  better  than  any  other,  and  would 
proudly  point  out  its  beauties  and  describe  its  merits  to 
his  friends.  Instead  of  building  fires  in  the  winter  to  warm 
their  houses,  the  Chinese  people  put  on  more  clothing,  and 
thus  increase  their  size  as  the  weather  grows  colder.  They 
become  smaller  again  in  the  spring  as  layer  after  layer  is 
discarded.  They  read  the  long,  vertical  street  signs  from 
top  to  bottom  instead  of  from  left  to  riglit,  and  begm 
at  wliat  we  should  call  the  last  page  of  a  book  to  read 
it  through. 

Chinese  girls  do  not  usually  go  to  school,  though  to-day 
girls'  schools  are  being  slowly  introduced.  Those  which 
the  boys  attend  would  seem  very  (jueer  to  us.    The  pupils 


10 


ASIA 


study  aloud  and  stand  to  recite  with  their  backs  to  their 
teacher.  When  3'ou  are  puzzkid  in  school  over  some  of  the 
hard  words  in  your  lesson,  you  sometimes  scratch  your  head, 
but  a  Chinese  boy  kicks  off  a  shoe  and  scratches  his  foot. 

When  the  teacher 
asks  the  pupils'  ages, 
they  reckon  from 
New  Year's  Day,  as 
all  tlie  Chinese  re- 
o-ard  that  as  their 
birthday.  If  a  child 
is  born  only  two  or 
three  days  before 
the  end  of  the  year, 
he  is  considered  two 
years  old  on  the 
first  day  of  the  new 
year.  His  first  birth- 
day was  the  day  on 
which  he  was  born, 
but  Ms  second  and 
all  his  succeeding 
birthdays  are  sup- 
posed to  be  on  New 
Year  s  Day. 
This  queer  land  is  a  very  old  one.  When  America  was 
still  undiscovered  and  when  Europeans  were  only  rude 
barbarians,  the  Chinese  were  keeping  historical  records. 
They  have  seen  many  ancient  countries  —  Persia,  Egypt, 
Greece,  and  R(mie  —  rise  and  fall.  They  claim  the  honor  of 
inventing  paper,  silk,  gunpowder,  and  the  art  of  printing. 


)  ITii(lerwoo<i  Si  I'nderwood 

Fu;.  4.   They  read  the  Long,  Vertical 
Street  Signs  from  Top  to  Bottom 


THE  LAXD  OF  GREAT  AYATERWAYS  11 

and  two  thousand  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ  they 
were  so  skilled  in  mathematics  and  astronomy  that  they 
could  predict  eclipses. 

China  is  shut  off  from  other  countries  by  a  chain  of 
liighlands  and  plateaus  extending  along  a  frontier  line  of 
nearly  six  thousand  miles.  Her  water  front  faces  the 
largest  ocean  on  the  globe,  the  very  size  of  which  prevented 
communication  across  it  for  centuries.  Thus  hemmed  in  by 
mountains  and  water,  China  worked  out  her  civilization, 
which,  because  of  her  isolation,  was  different  from  that  of 
any  otlier  country.  Contrast  tliese  conditions  with  those 
under  which  European  nations  developed.  They  received 
help  from  one  another,  from  the  countries  of  western  Asia, 
and  from  Egypt. 

Whenever  we  read  of  the  strange  customs  or  the  queer 
ways  of  our  neighbors  across  the  Pacific,  we  must  remem- 
ber that,  without  help  from  their  neighbors,  without  inspira- 
tion from  other  more  highly  developed  peoples,  they  built 
up  a  civilization  superior  to  that  of  any  other  people  on 
the  continent  of  Asia,  and  formed  a  united  country  which 
has  endured  for  more  than  four  thousand  years. 

This  is  all  the  more  wonderful  when  we  remember  what 
a  large  area  is  included  in  this  Eastern  land.  Next  to  the 
Russian  and  British  dominions  the  Republic  of  China  is 
the  largest  country  in  the  world.  It  stretches  farther  north 
and  farther  south  than  the  United  States,  and  there  is 
more  difference  in  climate  between  its  northern  and  south- 
em  provinces  than  between  Minnesota  and  Louisiana. 
There  is  as  great  a  contrast  between  the  people  of  the  ex- 
treme north  and  those  of  the  semitropical  south  as  between 
Italians  and  Norwegians.  A  Chinese  of  Manchuria  is  taller 


12  ASIA 

than  liis  hrcitlier  in  the  south,  and  his  language  is  so  differ- 
ent that  he  can  no  more  understand  his  southern  country- 
nuui  than  a  Frcnelnnan  can  understand  a  Swede. 

There  are  as  many  people  in  the  dominions  of  China  as 
in  North  America,  South  America,  Africa,  and  Australia. 
In  parts  of  the  country  they  are  so  crowded  that  the  land 
is  more  thickly  settled  than  Texas  would  be  if  it  contained 
all  the  people  of  the  United  States  and  half  as  many  more. 

"  The  Land  of  Great  Waterways "  is  a  very  appropri- 
ate name  for  this  Eastern  country,  for  it  has  a  greater 
length  of  rivers  and  canals,  more  boats,  and  a  larger  water 
population  than  any  other  country  in  the  world.  By  look- 
ing on  the  map  you  can  see  that  it  is  made  up  largely  of 
the  valleys  of  several  long  eastward-flowing  rivers  and  the 
highlands  between  them.  The  largest  of  these  great  water- 
ways rise  in  the  lofty  mountains  which  separate  China  from 
the  countries  to  the  west,  flow  down  the  steep  slopes,  rush 
through  narrow  gorges,  and  wander  across  wide  plains 
which  they  have  built  up,  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  its  arms. 

The  most  northerly  of  these  great  streams  is  the  Amur, 
which,  because  of  its  dark  waters,  the  Chinese  call  "  the 
river  of  the  black  dragon."  The  Amur  is  about  twice  the 
length  of  the  Columbia,  whicli  is  a  few  degrees  farther  north 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  For  many  miles 
the  Amur  forms  the  boundary  between  Russian  and  Chinese 
territory.  It  is  ice-bound  from  November  to  April,  and  for 
this  reason,  and  because  of  the  wilderness  through  which  it 
flows,  it  is  not  as  useful  as  its  largest  tributary,  the  Sungari, 
Avhich  w^aters  the  most  fertile  part  of  INIanchuria. 

Nearly  as  far  south  as  San  Francisco  is  the  mouth  of  the 
Hwang  River,  or  the  Hwang  Ho,  as  it  is  sometimes  called. 


©Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  5.  China  has  a  Lak<;k  Watkk  Population  living  in  Queer 
Little  Boats  called  Sampans 


13 


14  ASIA 

The  northern  Chinese  Avord  lor  river  is  Ho,  while  in  the 
south  the  word  Kiam/  is  used,  and  the  great  Yangtze  River 
is  sometimes  named  the  Yangtze  Kiang.  The  Hwang  is 
nearly  as  large  as  the  Missouri,  but  on  account  of  its  swift 
current,  its  sand  banks,  and  its  shifting  channel,  it  is  of 
little  use  to  navigation.  Its  tremendous  water  power  will 
in  the  future  be  of  imiuens(^  value  to  China  in  developing 
her  manufacturmg  industries.  By  means  of  it  enough  elec- 
tricity can  be  generated  to  light  all  the  cities  in  its  valley 
and  to  run  all  the  silk  mills  in  the  country. 

The  name  Hicanq,  which  means  "  yellow,"  was  given  to 
this  great  Avaterway  on  account  of  the  color  of  its  water. 
Not  only  is  the  stream  loaded  with  yellow  silt,  but  the 
land  tln-ough  which  it  flows,  the  houses,  the  fields,  and  the 
crops  arc  (covered  with  yellow  dust,  and  the  sea  into  which 
it  flows  is  of  the  same  color. 

This  peculiar-looking  soil,  supposed  to  have  been  brought 
by  the  winds  from  the  deserts  in  the  north,  is  called  loess. 
In  some  })laees  gorges  hundreds  of  feet  deep  show  perpen- 
dicular walls  of  it.  Rivers  have  cut  deep  canons  in  it  and, 
as  highways  often  follow  river  valleys,  many  of  the  roads 
lie  in  these  gorges.  In  parts  of  the  Hwang  valley  one  may 
look  for  miles  over  vast  yellow  stretches  of  land  and  see 
no  houses  or  roads.  The  houses  are  caves  in  the  loess, 
and  the  roads  sometimes  lie  many  feet  below  the  level  of 
the  country. 

An  area  larger  than  the  entire  country  of  France,  ex- 
tending from  north  of  the  Hwang  nearly  to  the  Yangtze 
River,  is  covered  with  this  peculiar  yellowish  soil.  It  is 
so  productive  that  in  spite  of  the  centuries  of  constant 
cultivation,  it  has  not  lost  its  fertility,  but  is  still  capable 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  15 

of  supporting  dense  populations,  and  this  great  plain  of 
eastern  China  literally  swarms  with  people. 

Another  name  often  given  to  the  Hwang  River  is  Chinah 
Sorroiv.  In  a  thousand  years  it  caused  the  death  of  more 
people  than  were  slain  during  the  same  time  in  all  the 
great  wars  of  the  world.  When  the  snows  melt  on  the 
mountains,  the  mighty  river  becomes  swollen  with  floods 
and  spreads  out  over  the  plain,  destroying  crops,  villages, 
and  people  for  miles  around  and  leaving  behind  it,  as  it 
subsides,  disease,  famine,  and  suffering.  Because  of  these 
floods  the  river  is  diked  for  long  stretches,  and  thousands 
of  men  are  employed  in  keeping  the  dikes  in  repair.  As 
the  stream  deposits  more  and  more  sediment,  its  bed  and 
the  level  of  its  waters  are  gradually  raised  and  the  dikes 
must  also  be  made  higher.  In  parts  of  the  Hwang  valley, 
as  in  places  on  the  IMLssissippi,  the  water  is  higher  than  the 
surrounding  plain,  which  is  therefore  more  easily  flooded 
when  the  river  breaks  through  the  dikes. 

During  its  flood  seasons  the  great  river  has  many  times 
left  its  channel  and  sought  a  new  course  over  the  plam, 
sweeping  away,  in  its  mad  rush  for  the  ocean,  the  towns 
and  cities  which  lay  in  its  path.  During  one  of  these 
changes  a  million  people  lost  their  lives,  and  liundreds 
of  busy,  crowded  towns  and  villages  were  wiped  out  of 
existence. 

Going  southward  over  the  fertile  plain,  we  come  to  the 
Yangtze  River,  the  greatest  of  all  Chinese  waterways.  In 
its  basin  live  nearly  twice  as  many  people  as  are  found  in 
the  United  States,  making  it  the  most  densely  populated 
river  valley  in  the  world.  From  its  sourc-c  in  the  lofty  high- 
lands of  Tibet  the  Yangtze   comes   dashing  down  steep 


16  ASIA 

mountain  sides,  whirling^  tlirough  deep  gorges  with  vertical 
sides  hundreds  of  feet  high,  winding  through  smiling  valleys 
between  green  hills,  and  finally  meandering  slowly  across 
the  fertile  })laiii  to  the  sea.  There  it  discharges  such  quan- 
tities of  silt  as  to  discolor  the  blue  water  for  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  from  shore. 

AVe  will  start  on  a  trip  up  the  Yangtze  at  Shanghai,  a  city 
nearly  twice  the  size  of  St.  Louis.  It  is  one  of  the  largest 
cities  of  Asia  and  an  important  industrial  and  commercial 
center.  We  should  know  that  it  is  a  great  world  port  from 
the  number  of  vessels  which  crowd  its  harbor.  There  are 
great  lead-gray  British  cruisers  side  by  side  with  Chinese 
gunboats ;  there  are  big  black  merchantmen  displaying 
the  colors  of  many  nations  —  England,  Germany,  France, 
Holland,  and  Ja],)an  ;  and,  best  of  all,  we  see  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  floating  from  a  vessel  from  the  United  States. 
Nearer  the  wharves  there  are  countless  (Jliinese  junks  with 
reddish-brown  sails,  and  rows  upon  rows  of  queer  little  boats 
called  sampans,  eacli  n\  itli  its  small  round  roofing  of  matting 
and  its  swarm  of  yellow  children.  Let  us  go  up  from  the 
wharves  into  the  old  Chinese  city.  How  queer  it  all  is  I 
Everything  which  to  our  Western  minds  a  great  city  should 
contain,  such  as  fine  streets,  smooth  pavements,  sidewalks, 
large  business  blocks,  policemen,  cabs,  and  cars,  is  lacking. 

Through  the  narrow  gate  in  the  great  w^all  which  sur- 
rounds the  city  a  crowd  of  Chinese  are  pushing,  jostling, 
crowding,  and  shouting.  The  water  carrier  balances  his 
dripping  pails  on  a  bamboo  pole  over  his  shoulder.  Other 
coohes  carry  in  a  similar  way  their  ill-smelling  loads  of 
the  city  sewage.  Should  you  like  to  ride  in  that  curtained 
chair  borne  on  long  poles  by  coolies,  who  yell  a  warning 


THE  LAXD  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  17 

for  the  people  to  make  way  as  they  approach,  or  should 
you  prefer  the  jmrikisha,  that  little  two-wheeled  affair 
with  a  man  instead  of  a  horse  between  the  shafts? 


Fig.  6.   There  is  a  Wheelbarrow  with  a  Passenger  on  One  Side 

AND    ON    THE    OtHER    A    LiVE    HOG 


Mother  Goose  must  certainly  have  had  China  hi  mmd 
when  she  wrote, 

The  streets  were  so  l.a<l  aiul  tli.-  lanes  were  so  narrow 
I  was  forced  to  hrinj-  my  witV  lioinc  on  a  wheen)arrow. 


18  ASIA 

We  see  in  the  streets  hundreds  of  these  queer  Chuiese 
vehicles.  There  is  one  with  a  passenger  on  one  side  and 
on  the  other  a  Hve  hog,  whose  piercing  squeals  add  to  the 
din  around  us.  In  the  crowd  there  are  coolies  with  baskets 
of  vegetables  swmging  from  slender  poles  over  their  shoul- 
ders, and  others  with  huge  packing  cases  on  their  backs. 
As  we  linger  to  watch  the  people  we  see  all  kinds  of 
heavy  loads  and  an  immense  amount  of  merchandise  car- 
ried, but  we  do  not  see  a  horse,  a  mule,  a  donkey,  or 
any  kmd  of  four-footed  beast  of  burden,  nor  shall  we  find 
any  in  our  travels  through  a  large  part  of  the  country. 
In  all  this  great  land  there  are  few  highways  of  any 
lensfth  which  an  American  would  think  for  a  moment  of 
dignifying  by  the  name  of  street.  With  the  exception  of 
some  in  Peking  and  in  the  foreign  settlements  of  the 
large  cities,  the  broadest  streets  are  not  more  than  eight 
or  ten  feet  wide,  while  m  the  country  regions  the  roads 
are  mere  paths.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  country  the 
highways  are  just  wide  enough  to  accommodate  the  mule 
teams  and  pony  carts  which  are  used  there.  In  the  south, 
wheelbarrows  which  carry  both  passengers  and  freight  are 
the  largest  conveyances ;  everything  not  carried  in  these 
is  borne  on  the  backs  or  shoulders  of  men. 

We  manage  to  squeeze  through  the  crowded  gate  of 
Shanghai  and  find  ourselves  on  a  street  not  much  wider 
than  some  American  sidewalks.  Our  sight-seeing  is  beset 
wnth  difficulties.  We  are  so  interested  and  amused  by  the 
strange  scenes  on  every  hand  that  we  are  nearly  knocked 
down  by  a  chair  runner.  Stepping  quickly  aside,  we  almost 
fall  into  a  pile  of  garbage  which  lies  m  our  way.  There 
are  no  sidewalks  in  the  narrow  streets  of  Chinese  cities. 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS 


19 


no  modem  methods  of  street  cleaning,  no  good  system  of 
sewerage.    In  the  larger  cities  street  cleaners  collect  the 


<J    liiil.  i« 1  ,v  I   ii.h-rwooil 

Fni.   7.     But   although,  as   \vk   linger  to   watch  thk   Tkoi-le,   we 

SEE   All  Kinus  ok    Heavv   Loads,  we  do   not    see   a   Four-footed 

Beast  ok  Burden 

refuse  wliich  is  tlirown  into  the  streets.  The  farmers  are 
very  glad  to  get  this  material,  which  they  use  to  fertilize 
the   land    on   their   little   farms.     In    most  Chinese   cities 


20 


ASIA 


there  are  no  watering  systems.  Coolies  bring  the  water 
in  pails  from  canals,  rivers,  or,  in  some  cases,  from  wells, 
and    the    constant    slopping   keeps   the    streets    in   places 


^  L  iicierwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.    8.     Micii    of    tiik   Freight    ix   both   Chinese   and   Japanese 

Cities    is    carried    on    the    Backs   or   hung    on   Poles    from   the 

Shoulders  of  Coolies 


continually  muddy.  There  are  few  city  lighting  plants. 
In  some  of  the  large  cities  of  China  such  conditions  are 
giving  way  to-day  to  more  modern  ones,  but  these  changes 
are  in  most  sections  taking  place  slowly. 


THE  LAXD  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  21 

The  shops  which  line  the  streets  in  the  Chinese  quarter 
of  Shanghai  are  very  different  from  our  large  department 
stores,  where  one  can  buy  anything  from  a  handkerchief 
to  a  kitchen  range.  The  Chmese  shops  are  low,  one-story 
buildings  with  no  windows  or  doors.  They  are  closed  at 
night  by  shutters,  and  when  these  are  taken  down  m  the 
mommg,  the  whole  interior  is  open  to  view.  In  many 
stores  no  goods  are  displayed,  but  when  purchasers  ap- 
pear, the  merchant  brings  out  rolls  of  costly  silk,  priceless 
bronzes,  delicate  lacquered  ware,  dainty  china,  or  whatever 
line  of  goods  he  may  have  to  sell.  He  asks  much  more 
than  the  goods  are  worth,  and  if  one  is  wise  he  will  offer 
less  than  he  intends  to  pay.  After  a  discussion  over  the 
ever-present  cups  of  tea  a  bargain  will  finally  be  struck. 

We  laugh  to  see  a  barber  plying  his  trade  in  the  open 
street,  but  it  is  a  common  sight  in  this  strange  land. 
Except  for  a  round  place  under  the  cap,  where  the  hair 
was  allowed  to  grow  for  the  queue,  the  Chinese  have 
worn  their  hair  closely  shaved  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  As  our  fashion  of  wearing  the  hair  is  being  generally 
adopted,  the  number  of  barbers  in  the  streets  of  Chinese 
cities  will  be  considerably  lessened. 

See  those  filthy  beggars  with  dusty  rags  just  covering 
their  bodies,  which  are  repulsive  with  disease  and  sores. 
Some  blind  ones  among  them  find  tlieir  way  by  walking 
with  their  hands  on  the  shoulders  of  the  one  in  front  of 
them.  China  is  a  land  of  beggars,  who  make  a  trade  of 
their  infirmities.  In  some  cities  they  band  together  and 
go  from  shop  to  shop,  asking  for  cash,  as  the  small  coin  of 
China  is  calle<L  Everyone  gives  them  a  mite,  not  freely, 
perhaps,  but  because,  if  they  refuse,  the  beggars  will  take 


22  ASIA 

their  stand  in  t'lont  of  tlie  store  and  so  drive  away  all  cus- 
tomers, for  no  one  wislies  to  come  near  such  filthy  creatures. 

All  classes  of  people  throng  the  streets.  On  the  corner 
there  is  a  juggler  performing  some  wonderful  sleight-of- 
hand  tricks  before  an  admiring  audience.  A  dignified 
Chinese  in  his  silken  gown  draws  close  to  the  shop  counter 
to  avoid  the  coolie  with  his  pails  of  filth.  A  fish  dealer 
hurries  past,  calling  to  us  to  get  out  of  the  way.  As  he 
stops  for  a  customer  we  take  a  peep  at  the  fish  wiggling  in 
the  pails  of  water  which  hang  from  his  bamboo  pole.  The 
customer  selects  his  fish,  the  dealer  produces  a  small  board, 
ami  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  the  fish  is  laid  on  it,  killed, 
cleaned,  and  delivered  to  the  waiting  purchaser. 

We  should  know  from  his  long  gown,  his  proud,  thin 
face,  and  his  air  of  superiority  that  this  person  passing  us 
is  a  scholar.  In  no  country  in  the  world  is  learning  more 
highly  regarded  than  in  China,  and  though  a  scholar  may 
be  very  poor  and  his  dress  rusty  and  threadbare,  yet  he 
is  treated  ^ith  great  respect  Ijy  all  who  meet  him.  That 
coolie  coming  at  a  steady  trot  with  great  bundles  of  Inrush 
for  fuel  hangmg  from  his  pole  takes  up  more  than  half  o: 
the  street,  but  at  his  cries  everybody  goodnaturedly  makes 
way  for  him  to  pass. 

We  are  very  glad  to  leave  the  noise,  the  dirt,  and  the 
smells,  and  go  outside  the  walls  of  Shanghai  to  the  part  of 
the  city  where  the  Europeans  and  Americans  live.  The 
foreign  settlement  is  as  different  from  the  Chinese  city 
as  the  slums  of  New  York  are  different  from  the  Fifth 
Avenue  shops  and  the  residences  of  the  millionaires.  In 
the  foreign  settlement  are  electric  lights  and  cars,  broad 
streets,    parks,   and   pleasant   residences.     The   natives  of 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS 


23 


Shanghai  have  seen  for  years  the  improvements  which 
foreigners  have  made  in  their  part  of  the  city,  but  few  as 
yet  have  been  mtroduced  into  the  Chinese  quarters. 

Shanghai  is  situated  on  a  small  stream  which  enters  the 
Yangtze  Kiang  near  its  mouth.    At  the  busy  wharves  we 


>  Underwood  s  I'nderwood 

Fig.  9.    The    Foreign    Settlement    of    Shanghai    is  as    Different 
FROM  THE  Chinese  Quarters  as  the  Slums  of  New  York  are  Dif- 
ferent FROM  Fifth  Avenue 


will  take  a  fine  large  steamer  for  our  trip  up  the  great 
river.  It  is  hard  to  realize  that  we  are  on  a  river  at  all, 
as  for  some  miles  no  land  is  visible  on  either  side. 

We  should   like  to  take  a  coasting  steamer  or  a  house 
boat  for  a  trip  to  Hangchow  just  at  the  head  of  the  wide 


24  ASIA 

nioutli  of  the  Yangtze,  for  it  is  so  beautifully  located, 
overlooking  the  river,  the  sea,  and  a  lovely  lake,  that  an 
old  Chinese  proverb  says,  "  Above  is  heaven  and  below  is 
Hangchow." 

For  miles  around,  the  mulberry  trees  tell  us  that  we  are 
in  the  center  of  the  silk  region.  The  trees  are  planted  in 
every  possible  place  —  along  the  canals,  on  the  ridges  sep- 
aratincj  the  fields,  and  in  orcat  orchai'ds.  There  are  also 
many  nurseries  where  joung  trees  are  raised.  If  we  were 
to  explore  the  city,  we  should  find  many  rude  hand  looms 
in  the  little  houses,  thousands  of  power  looms  in  the  fac- 
tories where  silk  is  woven,  and  many  fascinating  shops 
where  it  is  sold. 

llancT(;how  is  situated  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Grand 
Canal,  which  stretches  northward  to  Tientsin  and  is  continued 
by  the  Pei  River  to  Peking.  This  canal,  six  hundred  miles 
in  length  and  connecting  the  waters  of  the  two  greatest 
Chinese  rivers,  is  one  of  the  longest  canals  in  the  world. 
Enormous  sums  have  been  spent  in  building  and  maintain- 
ing this  great  waterway,  which  is  made  up  largely  of  small 
streams  and  lakes,  with  artificial  connections,  and  which 
seems  more  like  a  winding  river  than  a  canal.  Formerly 
this  water  highway  through  the  heart  of  the  densely  popu- 
lated country  was  of  immense  importance  and  was  crowded 
with  junks  carrying  rice,  tea,  silk,  and  other  goods  to 
Peking,  the  capital  of  China.  More  recently  this  traffic  has 
been  carried  on  by  sea  to  Tientsin  and  thence  by  rail  or  water 
to  Peking,  and  the  canal  in  places  has  been  so  out  of  repair 
as  to  be  unnavigable.  Repairs  are  being  made  at  present  in 
several  places  on  the  canal,  and  in  the  future  this  waterway 
will  once  acrain  be  of  OTcat  value  to  the  nation. 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERAVAYS     25 

Hundreds  of  canals  branch  off  from  the  Grand  Canal 
and  from  the  rivers  of  the  region.  These  subdivide  into 
still  smaller  ones,  which  branch  yet  agam  into  ditches  and 
creeks.  It  is  said  that  in  the  low  delta  plains  of  China 
there  is  a  canal  for  every  farming  area  of  forty  acres.  No 
other  country  in  the  world  has  such  an  immense  number 
of  waterways  intersecting  so  large  an  area.  From  an  air- 
ship we  could  get  a  good  view  of  the  network  of  canals 
and  of  the  fertile  fields,  covered  with  rice  and  millet,  cotton 
plants,  and  mulberry  trees,  lying  between  them.  Even  if 
the  scattered  villages  were  not  visible,  we  could  tell  their 
location  by  the  willows  and  elms  clustered  about  them. 
Elsewhere  the  plain  is  bare  of  woods.  Near  each  village  is 
a  narrow  creek  or  canal  which  winds  far  inland  through 
the  rice  country.  Curious-looking  craft  —  junks,  sampans, 
fishing  boats,  and  house  boats  —  fill  these  waterways  so 
that  it  seems  impossible  tliat  any  boat  can  ever  free  itself 
from  the  tangle ;  yet  with  much  shouting  and  confusion 
the  boats  finally  separate  from  the  crowd  and  slowly  start 
on  their  different  journeys. 

Besides  serving  as  highways,  the  canals  are  useful  to 
the  Chinese  in  many  other  ways.  They  serve  as  hatcheries 
in  which  to  breed  immense  numbers  of  fish,  duck  farms  are 
found  everywhere  along  them,  and  a  bulb,  known  as  the 
water  chestnut,  is  raised  in  them  in  great  quantities  and 
used  by  the  people  as  a  cheap  food.  The  farmers  dredge 
the  canals  for  the  mud  which  accumulates,  and  spread  this 
on  their  fields,  thereby  serving  the  double  purpose  of  en- 
riching the  land  iiiid  keeping  the  canals  in  good  condition. 
Baskets  are  woven  from  the  grass  and  reeds  which  grow  in 
and  around  the  canals.  The  most  important  way,  however, 


26  ASIA 

in  which  the  canals  serve  the  people  is  by  carrying  the 
enormous  amount  of  traffic  which  is  necessary  in  this 
densely  populated  country.  So  important  are  they  in  this 
respect  that  the  Chinese  would  be  as  helpless  without  their 
canals  as  we  should  bo  without  our  railroads. 

Continuing  our  trip  up  the  Yangtze,  we  come  to  Nan- 
king, the  old  capital  of  C-hina  and  at  one  time  the  largest 
city  in  the  world.  The  word  Nanking  means ''  southern  capi- 
tal," in  contrast  with  Peking^  which  means  "  northern  capi- 
tal." The  city  itself  lies  live  miles  away,  and  from  the 
river  one  sees  only  the  encircling  walls  and  the  modern 
forts  and   barracks  which  overlook  the  stream. 

Your  grandmothers  will  perhaps  rememl)er  using  for  their 
dresses  a  strong  cotton  cloth  called  nankeen.  As  you  may 
imagine  from  its  name,  this  cloth  was  made  originally  in 
Nanking,  where  cotton  manufacturing  is  still  an  important 
industry. 

China  is  the  land  of  fans.  In  the  sontlieni  j)ortions 
especially,  everyone  —  the  policciiian  on  his  rounds,  the 
soldier  on  guard,  the  coolie  in  the  ricksha,  and  tlie  hidy 
in  her  apartments  —  carries  a  fan  in  warm  weather  and 
uses  it  constantly.  Nanking  is  a  center  of  the  fan  in- 
dustry, and  tliousands  of  people  there  are  engaged  in 
making  the  folding  fans  such  as  we  use,  as  well  as  tlie 
coarse,  strong  palm-leaf  fans  so  necessary  for  the  comfort 
of  the  ('hinese.  This  latter  kind  is  also  made  in  immense 
numl)ers  in  and  around  Canton. 

Perhaps  you  have  heard  of  or  have  used  rice  paper,  a 
dainty,  thin  material  on  which  delicate  painting  and  print- 
ing is  done.  It  is  made,  not  from  the  rice  plant,  but  from 
a  reed  which  grows  in  the  swampy  lands.    Nanking  is  the 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  27 

chief  center  for  the  making  of  this  paper  and  also  for  the 
manufacture  of  an  excellent  quality  of  India  ink. 

Until  one  travels  on  the  Yangtze  one  cannot  realize  what 
an  immense  river  it  really  is.  Six  hundred  miles  from  its 
mouth  it  is  a  mile  wide,  and  even  a  thousand  miles  from 
the  ocean  it  is  fully  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  shore  to 
shore.  Many  large  tributaries,  canals,  and  creeks  open  up 
the  country  around  and  make  it  possible  for  everyone  to 
reach  the  river,  which  is  the  only  outlet  for  some  of  the 
richest  farming  lands  in  western  China.  The  lines  of  junks 
which  crowd  the  stream  at  every  town  and  city  tell  us  of  the 
vast  amount  of  goods  which  are  carried  on  these  waterways. 

The  Yangtze  is  not  beautiful,  for  it  is  yellow  with  the 
silt  that  it  carries.  During  its  summer  floods  it  deposits 
this  silt  on  the  land  and  drops  it  in  enormous  quantities 
in  the  sea  at  its  mouth  ;  because  of  this  annual  fertilization 
of  its  valley  and  the  careful  cultivation  which  the  farmers 
give  to  it,  the  soil  yields  abundant  harvests  of  rice,  vege- 
tables, and  grain.  These  great  crops  are  necessary  to  feed 
the  immense  numbers  of  people  who  live  in  the  Yangtze 
valley. 

A  little  more  tlian  six  IhhkIiumI  miles  from  the  ocean, 
just  wlicre  the  I  Ian  Itiver  enters  the  \'angtze,  is  Hankow, 
one  of  the  great  centers  of  the  republic  and  the  most  ini- 
portant  tea  market  of  the  country.  'J'his  city  is  the  largest 
distributing  center  in  China,  and  as  we  notice  its  location 
we  can  see  the  reason  for  tliis.  It  is  on  the  railroad  which 
runs  from  Peking  to  Canton.  On  this  road  great  quanti- 
ties of  goods  are  shipi)ed  to  and  from  the  north.  An  enor- 
mous amount  of  freight  is  brought  on  the  Yangtze  from 
tlie  east  and  from  the  west,  to  be  reshipped  up  the  I  Ian  River 


28  ASIA 

and  thence,  by  its  branches  and  intersecting  canals,  through 
the  region  to  the  north.  For  miles  along  both  rivers  lie  the 
junks  which  are  engaged  hi  this  carrying  trade.  The  city, 
inclosed  by  walls,  lies  near  the  river,  and  farther  away  along 
the  creeks  and  canals  are  the  crowded  suburbs.  We  shall 
find  but  little  paving  in  the  narrow,  dirty  alleys  which  serve 
as  streets  and  which  are  consequently  worn  into  deep  ruts  by 
the  wheels  of  the  thousands  of  heavily  loaded  wheelbarrows 
constantly  passing  and  repassing. 

At  llankow  we  must  leave  our  large,  comfortable  steamer 
and  change  to  a  smaller  one  for  our  trip  of  five  or  six  days 
to  Ichang,  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Yangtze.  On  the 
way  we  meet  many  boats  filled  with  raw  cotton,  raw  silk, 
wheat,  and  the  ever-present  rice  and  tea.  So  much  of  the 
last-named  product  is  carried  on  the  Yangtze  that  it  is 
sometimes  called  the  River  of  Tea. 

We  see  also  many  timber  rafts  come  floating  down  with 
the  current,  and  sampans  lashed  together,  yet  kept  apart  by 
platforms  built  between  them.  These  are  loaded  with  the 
great  reeds  which  line  the  bank  for  hundreds  of  miles. 
Many  people  along  the  river  are  engaged  in  cutting  and 
transporting  reeds,  which  are  used  for  roofs,  for  fences,  for 
fuel,  and,  plastered  within  and  without  \\itli  mud,  for  the 
walls  of  houses. 

The  fuel  question  is  a  serious  one  in  China  on  account 
of  the  scarcity  of  wood.  Roots,  straw,  leaves,  weeds,  ma- 
nure, everything  in  fact  which  will  burn  and  which  is  not 
needed  for  other  purposes,  is  used  for  fuel.  In  the  cities 
the  hot-water  peddler  is  well  patronized,  as  it  is  cheaper 
to  buy  of  him  what  is  needed  than  to  use  the  precious 
fuel  to  heat  water  at  home. 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  10.    Coolies  unloading  Tea  at  Hankow,  the  Great  Tea 
Market  of  Interior  China 


29 


30  ASIA 

111  parts  of  its  course  the  Yangtze  is  protected  by  huge 
dikes,  ovi'v  which  we  can  see  nothing  except  the  carved 
roof  of  a  temple  as  we  pass  some  city  or  town.  These 
places,  usiiallv  walled  and  fortiiied,  are  dirty  and  unattrac- 
tive. The  refuse  is  thrown  into  the  river  and  accumulates 
in  great  heaps  which  at  low  water  give  off  odors  better 
imagined  than  described.  Filthy  beggars,  black  pigs,  and 
dirty  dogs  wander  over  these  heaps,  picking  up  here  and 
there  strav  bits  which  may  help  to  ({uiet  the  pangs  of 
hunger. 

vTlie  river  narrows  and  becomes  inore  and  more  crowded 
with  craft  cjf  various  kinds  as  we  approach  Ichang,  where 
all  passengers  and  cargoes  have  to  change  boats.  Heavy 
junks  built  to  withstand  the  rapids  of  the  upper  stream  lie 
waiting  for  their  loads.  Those  going  down  the  Yangtze 
have  their  masts  lashed  along  their  sides,  as  with  the 
current  there  is  no  need  of  sails. 

Beyond  Ichang  lie  some  of  the  grandest  gorges  found  ori 
any  river  in  the  world.  Towering  cliffs  hundreds  of  feet 
high  shut  in  the  whirling  mass  of  waters,  which  tear  down 
over  the  wihlest  rapids  ever  navigated  b}'  boats.  The 
Chinese  sailors  are  very  skillful  in  guiding  their  boats 
through  this  dangerous  stretch  of  w^aters,  yet  in  spite  of 
their  skill  hundreds  of  junks  are  dashed  to  pieces  and 
many  lives  are  lost  in   this  part  of  the  river  every  year. 

Tlie  heavy  boats  are  drawn  upstream  by  hand,  as  in 
China  hand  labor  is  cheaper  than  steam-driven  machinery, 
and  coolies'  food  than  coal.  Strong  bamboo  cables  attached 
to  the  boat  are  seized  by  scores,  and  in  the  case  of  large 
junks  by  hundreds,  of  sweating,  screaming,  scrambling 
coolies.    Over  rocks  and  cliffs,  now  falling  on  sharp  stones. 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  31 

now  slipping  into  the  water,  now  straining  forward  until 
they  appear  like  animals  walking  on  all  fours,  they  tug  and 
pull  with  might  and  main,  taking  as  many  hours  to  pull 
the  boat  a  few  miles  upstream  as  it  will  take  minutes  for 
it  to  come  down  with  the  swift  current.  Each  junk  carries 
many  men  to  pull  her  up  the  river,  but  at  the  rapids  many 
more  are  needed.  The  coolies  A\'ho  do  this  hard  work  are 
called  trackers,  and  they  represent  one  of  the  lowest  classes 
of  Chinese  laborers.  During  the  navigable  season  they  come 
from  long  distances  to  the  river,  and  their  miserable  villages 
can  be  seen  all  along  the  upper  Yangtze.  Close  to  the  water, 
in  rude  huts  of  matting,  they  live,  half  clothed,  dirty,  and 
noisy,  eking  out  a  miserable  existence  on  a  few  cents  a 
day  until  their  exhausting  labor  wears  them  out. 

Even  more  exciting  than  the  tug  up  the  river  is  the  plunge 
down  through  the  whirling  waters.  As  a  great  junk  takes 
the  leap  into  the  rapids,  the  rowers,  all  yelling  and  scream- 
ing, direct  her  course,  while  the  captain's  voice,  as  he  shrieks 
his  directions,  rises  above  the  tumult.  The  foam  and  spray 
dash  high  over  the  boat  as  it  spms  around,  but  it  usually 
emerges  safe  and  sound  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids.  Some  are 
less  fortunate  and  are  dashed  against  hidden  rocks.  Tim- 
Vjer  and  wreckage  are  carried  downstream,  and  the  crews 
are  lost  beneath  the  foaming  waters. 

Perhaps  you  wonder  why  this  river  trafific  is  carried  on 
against  such  odds,  and  \\hether  the  goods  transported  are 
of  sufficient  value  to  justify  tliis  loss  of  life  and  [)roperty. 
The  Yangtze  River  with  its  tril)utaries  is  tlie  outlet  of  the 
province  of  Szechwan  in  western  China.  This  })rovince,  the 
largest  in  China,  is  smaller  than  Texas,  yet  it  contains 
two  thirds  as  many  peoj)le  as  the  entire  United  States. 


32  ASIA 

It  is  one  of  the  richest  divisions  of  the  country ;  from  it 
fruits,  vegetables,  grains,  opium,  tobacco,  rice,  silk,  hides, 
musk,  rhubarb,  and  many  other  products  are  shipped  in 
immense  quantities  down  the  Yangtze,  and  there  are  rich 
stores  of  coal  and  other  minerals  awaiting  future  develop- 
ment. A  railroad  has  been  planned  for  the  Yangtze  valley, 
but  for  years  the  river  will  carry  much  of  the  immense 
trade  from  the  inland  provinces  to  the  coast.    • 

There  are  other  rivers  in  China  which  are  much  smaller 
than  the  Amur,  Hwang,  and  Yangtze,  but  which  are  of 
great  importance.  One  of  these  is  the  Pei  River,  which, 
though  only  about  tlie  length  of  the  Hudson,  is  the  most 
important  river  in  the  north.  The  city  of  Peking  is  only 
about  twelve  miles  west  of  the  Pei,  and  Tientsin,  the  great- 
est commercial  port  in  tlie  northern  part  of  the  republic, 
is  about  eighty  miles  from  its  mouth.  The  Pei  is  one  of 
the  crookedest  rivers  in  the  world,  and  its  twists  and 
turns  are  so  many  and  so  sharp  that  it  needs  a  short  ship 
and  a  good  pilot  to  navigate  it  as  far  as  Tientsin.  Beyond 
that  city  it  is  unnavigable  except  for  small  native  craft. 

The  province  of  Chihli,  which  the  Pei  River  drains,  is 
about  as  densely  populated  as  the  plain  farther  south,  and 
near  Tientsin  and  beyond,  the  river  is  nearly  filled  with 
Chinese  junks,  European  vessels,  and  other  craft.  The 
banks  are  lined  with  villages  of  mud  huts  and  little  one- 
story  houses  packed  so  close  together  that  every  available 
inch  is  covered.  Women  doing  men's  hard  work,  children 
with  interesting  faces  and  bare,  brown  bodies,  and  men 
with  loose,  dark-blue  cotton  blouses  and  trousers,  such 
as  are  worn  by  nearly  all  Chinese,  are  as  thick  as  ants  on 
an  ant  hill,  and  as  busy. 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  33 

Tientsin  is  the  port  of  Peking  and  the  door  of  northern 
China,  Mongolia,  and  the  adjacent  Russian  possessions. 
It  is  situated  at  the  northern  end  of  the  Grand  Canal  and 
at  the  head  of  steamer  navigation  on  the  Pei  River,  where 
many  waterways  and  highways  converge,  and  it  dominates 
northern  China  as  Shanghai  does  the  part  of  the  country 
farther  south.  It  is  a  city  of  nearly  a  million  people.  The 
low  houses  built  of  dingy  gray  brick,  the  dull-tiled  roofs, 
the  crowded  quarters,  and  the  narrow  streets  have  no 
beauty  or  splendor,  yet  Tientsin  is  much  cleaner  and 
healthier  than  many  Chinese  cities.  In  the  Boxer  riots  of 
1900  much  of  it  was  destroyed,  and  in  its  place,  under 
foreign  engineers,  a  modern  city  has  been  built  for  the 
Chinese,  which,  compared  with  many  native  cities,  is  clean 
and  decent.  The  streets  are  not  so  wide,  however,  but 
that  we  must  crowd  against  the  buildings  to  avoid  being 
run  down  by  the  long  line  of  shaggy,  soft-footed  camels, 
which,  with  noses  high  in  the  air,  move  silently  along,  turn- 
ing their  heads  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  If  we 
could  peer  into  the  heavy  packs  on  their  backs,  we  should 
find  them  full  of  wood,  furs,  hides,  grease,  plaited  straw, 
and  other  products  from  the  tribes  of  Mongolia  and 
Central  Asia.  In  the  part  of  the  city  near  the  river  are 
warehouses  filled  with  brick  tea,  the  refuse  from  the  tea 
factories  of  the  south  pressed  into  hard  cakes.  After  a 
short  rest  the  camels  will  be  loaded  with  baskets  of  this 
brick  tea  and  will  start  back  on  their  long  journey  to 
Mongolia  and  the  northwest. 

The  rice,  grain,  and  tea  which  formerly  came  northward 
by  the  Grand  Canal  is  now  shipped  by  sea  to  Tientsin, 
where  it  is  stored.    From  there  it  is  sent  to  Pekin^r  and 


34 


ASIA 


thence  distiibuti'd  ilii'ouoli  the  northern  provinces.  In  the 
river  we  ean  see  the  junks  and  steamers  which  have  brought 
these  pro(hicts  from  Shanghai,  and  the  smaller  native  boats 
which  will  carry  tliem  through  the  surrounding  region. 

By  taking  plenty   of  time  we  might,  if  we  wislicd,  go 
from  Tii'ntsiu  to   Peking  on  a  wlieelbarrow,  or  we  might* 


■  ■  ■  ■■;■" 


Fig.  11.    The  Gate  of  Peking  is  a  Centek  of  Life 

make  the  trip  a  little  more  quickly,  though  not  much  more 
comfortably^  in  a  jolting,  tliumphig  mule  cart.  For  thou- 
sands of  years  camels  and  coolies,  horses  and  mules,  have 
traversed  tlie  same  path  between  the  two  cities,  which  no 
one  in  the  Western  world  would  dream  of  calling  a  road. 
In  all  that  time  it  has  probably  never  been  repaired,  though 
it  is  the  main  land  highway  for  the  swarms  of  people  whose 
villages  border  it  for  nearly  the  entire  distance. 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  35 

The  small,  slow  boats  on  the  river  would  be  much  more 
comfortable  than  any  land  conveyance,  but  if  we  would 
combine  speed  with  comfort,  we  must  go  by  train.  The  cars 
are  by  no  means  as  luxurious  as  those  to  which  we  are  ac- 
customed, but  they  are  much  to  be  preferred  to  any  other 
method  of  travel,  and  after  a  ride  of  four  or  five  hours  we 
find  ourselves  in  Peking,  the  capital  of  China. 

As  you  can  see  by  the  map,  Peking  is  really  a  city 
within  a  city.  The  Chinese  quarter,  in  the  shape  of  a 
rectangle  with  its  greatest  width  from  east  to  west,  is  at 
the  south.  North  of  this  and  partly  within  it  is  the 
Maiichu,  or  Tartar,  city  with  its  greatest  length  from  north 
to  south.  Inside  this  rectangle  is  the  Imperial  city,  walled 
and  fortified  like  the  other  two,  and  in  the  heart  of  this 
inner  city  lies  still  another,  the  Forbidden  city,  sacred  to 
the  ruler,  his  household,  and  his  guards.  From  the  plan 
of  Peking  given  on  the  following  page  you  can  note  these 
various  divisions  and  can  see  that  the  sacred  city  with  its 
yellow  walls  lies  in  the  very  heart  of  the  capital. 

The  family  who  ruled  China  for  more  than  two  hun- 
dred years  previous  to  1911,  when  the  government  was 
changed  to  a  republic,  were  not  native  Chinese  but  Man- 
chus,  people  from  the  province  of  Manchuria  in  the  north, 
an  interesting  region  of  which  you  will  read  in  anothei' 
chapter.  The  ]Manchus  differed  in  many  ways  from  their 
southern  ncighl)ors,  and  the  people  of  China  always  re- 
sented the  power  of  these  foreign  rulers.  For  fear  of  a 
sudden  attack  the  Manchus  separated  their  city  from  the 
southern  Chinese  section  by  a  wall  thirty  to  fifty  feet  high 
and  broad  enough  at  the  top  for  three  or  four  carriages 
to  pass  one  another. 


3G 


ASIA 


There  arc  Imiidreds  of  walled  cities  and  towns  in  China. 
Think  of  the  time  and  labor  spent  in  hnilding  these  de- 
fenses, which  are  practically  useless  in  modern  warfare. 
The  walls  of  some  of  the  cities  are  in  ruins,  but  those  of 


Fig.  12.   Peking  is  keally  a  City  within  a  City 


Peking  are  in  excellent  repair.  In  years  past  the  gates  were 
closed  at  night,  and  travelers  in  the  roads  around  the  city 
made  all  possible  haste  to  get  inside  before  they  were  shut. 
The  heart  of  Peking  is  where  the  center  gate  of  the 
Manchu  city  opens  into  the  Chinese  quarter.     The  great 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  37 

streams  of  trade  and  travel,  the  dust,  the  hum,  the  shouts, 
and  the  smells  are  thicker  here  than  anywhere  else  in  the 
city.  Here  we  should  meet  numberless  beggars,  heavily 
laden  donkeys,  endless  processions  of  Pekuig  carts  (which 
some  one  has  described  as  red  and  blue  dog  houses  on 


Yic.  13.    Wk  shohm)  mkkt  Manv  Peking  Cauts 


wheels),  loug-  lines  of  ungainly  camels  bringing  their  heavy 
loads  from  the  nortli,  closely  curtained  sedan  chairs  con- 
taining some  royal  beauty  or  higli  official,  creaking  wheel- 
barrows pushed  and  pulled  by  coolies  and  mules,  and  the 
never-ending  stream  of  sweating,  shouting,  bending,  straining 
Iniiiinn  carriers  forcing  their  way  through  tlie  crowd. 

68839 


38  ASIA 

Peking  is  the  only  Chinese  city  which  has  any  consider- 
able length  of  wide  streets.  In  the  Manchu  portion  there 
are  several  macadamized  highways  and  some  others  wide 
enough  for  two  carriages  to  pass  each  other ;  extending 
southward  tioiii  the  center  gate  of  the  Manchu  city 
through  the  Chinese  quarter  is  another  wide  avenue  two 
miles  in  length ;  but  elsewhere  in  the  great  capital  there 
are  few  wide  or  paved  streets.  Most  of  the  traffic  made 
necessary  by  a  population  of  a  million  people  is  carried 
on  through  narrow  lanes,  Avhich  are  dusty,  muddy,  or  cut 
into  deep  ruts. 

The  numerous  workers,  barbers,  cobl)lcrs,  blacksmiths, 
and  sewing  women,  the  tea,  fruit,  and  rice  stands,  and  the 
svares  displayed  before  the  doors  of  the  shops  serve  to 
make  the  narrow  streets  even  narrower,  so  that  in  many 
cases  they  are  not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  feet  wide. 

These  narrow  streets  are  lined  with  tiny  shops,  and  if  it 
were  not  for  the  dirt  and  the  smells,  we  could  wander  for 
hours  among  them  and  see  everywhere  something  to  inter- 
est us.  In  the  bazaars  one  can  find  anything  from  a  jade 
li(^lt  buckle  and  dainty  fan  to  second-hand  clothing  and 
furs.  Tlie  lantern  bazaars  are  interesting  and  carry  on  a 
thri^'ing  business.  In  certahi  parts  of  the  city  where  there 
are  no  electric  lights  everybody  carries  a  lantern  at  night. 
Many  of  the  houses  are  lighted  with  these  queer-shaped 
lanterns,  though  lamps  are  comuig  into  use  more  and 
more  each  year. 

The  houses  all  look  very  much  alike,  and  as  we  ride 
through  street  after  street  lined  with  odd  little  dwellings, 
we  wonder  where  the  wealthy  people  live  and  where  the 
poorer  families  are  found.    It  is  one  of  the  queer  things 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS 


39 


about  China  that  the  houses  of  the  rich  and  the  poor  are 
crowded  together  in  the  same  streets.  Most  of  the  build- 
ings are  one  story  high  with  blank  walls  facing  the  street 


Fig.  14.    The  Tka,  Fi:i  it,  and  IIki;  .Stands  aiakk  tiik   >.aukow 
Stkekts  even  Narrower 

and  with  windows  and  yai-ds  and  courts  in  the  rear  where 
they  can  be  enjoyed  in  privacy. 

In  the  Manchu  city  we  meet  many  tail,  line-looking 
women  with  graceful  carriage  and  well-formed  feet.  The 
Manchiis  have  never  disfigured  themselves  by  foot-binding. 
In  the  Chinese  quarter,   however,    we   see   a   few    women 


40 


ASIA 


hobbling  along  on  their  poor  little  stumps  of  feet  in  a 
most  ungainly  fashion.  Imperial  edicts  have  forbidden  foot- 
biuding ;    missionaries  have  labored  for  years  against  it ; 

educated  Chinese 
have  seen  the  folly 
of  it.  ]\Iuch  progress 
has  been  made,  but 
foot-binding  is  still 
done  in  places.  When 
a  little  girl  is  from 
five  to  eight  years 
old,  her  toes  are  bent 
down  and  tightly 
l)ound  in  that  posi- 
tion. From  time  to 
time  the  bandages 
are  drawn  tighter 
around  the  poor  de- 
formed feet,  and  for 
weeks  and  months 
and  even  years  the 
pam  is  dreadful. 
But  no  matter  how 
great  the  suffering, 
there  are  still  some 
mothers  w\u)  \n\\\ 
the  bands  closer  and  closer,  in  order  that  their  daughters, 
when  grown,  may  have  the  much-desired  "  golden  lilies," 
as  the  tiny  dwarfed  feet  are  called. 

Peking  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  cities  which  we 
sliall  visit,  and  even  though  we  spent  weeks  instead  of  days 


Fig.  15.   The  Itixekaxt  Chinese  Barbers 

HAVE  their  Places  of  Busine.ss  wherever 

THEY  find  Customers 


THE  LA]^D  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  41 

inside  its  high  walls,  we  should  still  be  loath  to  leave  it.  We 
shall  not  have  a  correct  impression  of  this  great  nation, 
however,  unless  we  visit  southern  China,  as  the  life  there 
is  different  from  that  in  the  north.  So  we  shall  leave  the 
great  capital  for  a  trip  on  the  Pearl  River,  a  southern 
waterway  which,  though  shorter  than  any  we  have  men- 
tioned, is  of  great  importance  and,  through  its  branches 
and  canals,  penetrates  liunclreds  of  miles  into  the  interior. 
Because  the  great  city  of  Canton  is  situated  on  its  banks 
this  waterway  is  also  called  the  Canton  River,  while  in  the 
Cliinese  language  it  is  known  as  the  Si  Kiang. 

Strange  as  the  scenes  on  the  banks  of  the  river  may 
seem  to  us,  the  life  on  the  water  itself  is  yet  more  inter- 
esting, for  the  river  is  inhabited  as  well  as  the  land.  Thou- 
sands, even  millions,  of  people  in  China  live  on  the  water. 
Not  only  the  Pearl,  but  the  Yangtze,  the  Hwang  River,  the 
Grand  Canal,  and  many  of  the  smaller  waterways  are 
crowded  in  places  with  the  house  boats  of  people  who  know 
no  other  homes.  They  have  never  been  out  on  the  open 
sea,  perhaps,  and  many  thousands  of  them  have  never  lived 
in  a  home  on  the  land.  ]\Iany  of  the  boats  have  huge, 
staring  eyes  paintcnl  on  them.  Their  use  was  explained  by 
a  Chinese  in  his  broken  language  as  follows :  "  S'pose  no 
got  eye,  no  can  see ;  s'pose  no  can  see,  no  can  walkee." 

The  boat  in  which  a  family  lives  serves  not  only  as  a 
home  but  as  baggage  car,  peddler's  cart,  ferry,  and  work- 
shop for  "  butcher  and  ])aker  and  candlestick  maker."  On 
these  little  crafts,  shaped  something  like  a  watermelon  cut 
lengthwise,  tlie  people  live  ])usy  lives,  fishing,  tugging, 
cargo  carrying,  and  peddling  goods  of  every  description. 
The  boats  swarm  witli  naked  children  and  yellowish-brown 


42  ASIA. 

dogs.  jNIany  of  the  eliildron,  especially  the  boys,  are  tied 
to  some  object  on  the  boat,  to  prevent  their  falling  over- 
board. In  some  cases  they  have  fastened  to  tlieir  backs  a 
small  sealed  cask,  -which  will  lloat  in  the  water  and  so 
prevent  drowning. 

Each  boat  is  numbered  and  has  its  own  particular  moor- 
ing place  at  night.  The  river  people  can  buy  everything 
necessary  from  boats,  just  as  the  people  on  land  buy  from 
stores,  and  each  boat  displays  from  its  mast  a  sample  of 
the  goods  it  carries  for  sale.  There  are  boats  with  vege- 
tables, groceries,  cloth,  flowers,  flsh,  crockery,  and  fuel ; 
there  are  barbers'  boats,  doctors'  boats,  kitchen  boats,  and 
boats  with  everything  needful  for  life. 

Alany  Chinese  are  engaged  in  fishing,  as  fish  is  a  very 
common  article  of  food,  and  many  and  strange  are  the  de- 
vices employed  in  catching  them.  One  of  the  queerest 
methods  is  training  cormorants  to  do  the  Avork.  A  cormo- 
rant is  a  large  iish-eating  bird  Avith  a  long  neck,  around 
which  the  fisherman  fastens  a  ring  just  large  enough  to 
prevent  the  bird  from  swallowing  its  prey.  The  cormorants 
stand  on  the  edge  of  the  boat  until  the  iishing  grounds  are 
reached,  when  they  are  put  one  by  one  into  the  water  to 
dive  for  fish.  When  a  l)ir(l  has  one  or  more  in  its  mouth, 
it  returns  to  the  boat,  where  the  owner  removes  tlie  fish 
and  puts  the  bird  back  into  the  water  to  catch  more.  So 
well  are  the  cormorants  trained,  and  so  quickly  do  they 
work,  that  three  or  four  will  support  a  family. 

Another  queer  occupation  which  we  shall  see  on  the 
Pearl  River  and  its  branches  is  duck  farming.  On  some  old 
junk  the  farmer  raises  both  his  ducks  and  his  family.  At 
suitable  places  the  ducks  are  put  on  shore  to  feed,  and  at 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS 


43 


night  they  are  driven  back  to  their  qnarters  in  the  junk. 
They  come  in  a  hurry,  flying  and  quacking,  as  the  last 
one  on  board  always  gets  a  whack  from  the  farmer's  stick. 


©  I'nderwood  ,%  I'niiorwood 
Fig.    It}.     <>NK    f)I     TIIKIR    (,[1  KKHK.ST    MkTHODS    OF    FiSHING    IS    TRAINING 

Cormorants  to  do  the  Work 


The  island  of  Hongkong,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Pearl 
River,  is  one  of  the  most  distant  colonies  of  England.  The 
lonely  soldier  stationed  there  was  right  when  he  said  in  his 
humorous  way  that  they  could  not  send  him  farther  from 


44  ASIA 

home  without  sending  him  nearer.  This  Chinese  colony  is 
of  innnense  importance  to  Ent,^huul.  On  account  of  her 
business  interests  in  Chuia  and  Japan  and  her  possessions 
in  India  it  is  necessary  for  England  to  keep  a  large  war 
fleet  in  these  Far-Eastern  waters.  To  furnish  fuel  for  the 
vessels  a  coaling  station  near  at  hand  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  Hongkong,  with  its  wide,  deep  harbor,  makes  a  fine 
one.  The  island  also  commands  the  trade  of  southern  China, 
with  its  millions  of  people  just  awakening  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  great  wealth  of  their  own  country,  and  of  the  neces- 
sities and  luxuries  which  must  come  to  them  houi  other 
parts  of  the  world.  Hongkong  is  the  meeting  place  for 
freight  and  passenger  steamers  from  North  America, 
South  America,  Europe,  Africa,  New  Zealand,  Australia, 
and  India.  On  the  water  front  we  meet  representatives 
of  nearly  every  nation  on  the  earth,  see  a  motley  collec- 
tion of  costumes,  and  hear  a  variety  of  languages,  from 
the  familiar  English  and  the  musical  Hindu  to  a  jargon  of 
mixed  Chinese  and  English  spoken  by  the  natives  of  the 
southern  coast  towns  and  known  as  "  pidgin  English." 

The  first  view  of  Hongkong  is  very  different  from  the 
approach  to  Shanghai  or  Peking.  Those  cities  are  situated 
on  low,  wide  plains,  while  Hongkong  is  on  a  rocky  island 
with  mountain  peaks  rising  behind  the  city  to  a. height  of 
nearly  two  thousand  feet.  The  city  itself  is  built  in  stories 
like  a  house.  On  the  first  floor,  nestling  at  the  foot  of  the 
cliffs,  is  the  business  (pu\rter.  Above,  in  the  second  story, 
are  beautiful  houses  with  many  of  the  comforts  and  con- 
veniences common  to  Western  cities,  such  as  good  streets, 
parks,  gardens,  and  electric  cars  and  lights.  On  the  hills 
behind  these  rise  the  summer  residences,  where  most  of  the 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fi<;.  17.    On  tiik  First  Floor,  nestling  at  the  Foot  of  the  Cliffs, 

IS  the  Business  Quarter,  and  above,  in  the  Second  Story,  are  the 

Homes  and  the  Gardens 


45 


46 


ASIA 


Hy  rnclerwoocJ  &  Underwood 

Fiu.  18.    Yui:  ^vii.L  iind  in  Hongkong  Good  Streets,  Gardens, 
Parks,  and  Electric  Cars  and  Lights 

Europeans  find  it  necessary  to  go  during  the  hot,  damp 
season.  Hidden  in  the  cliffs  and  rocks  are  forts  which  com- 
mand every  landing  place,  and  the  British  soldier  is  as 
familiar  a  sight  on  the  cliffs  of  Hongkong  as  he  is  on  the 
heights  of  Gibraltar  and  in  other  British  possessions. 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  47 

Leaving  Hongkong,  we  will  sail  up  the  Pearl  River  to 
Canton,  ninety  niiles  away.  This  city,  a  great  center  of 
southern  China,  is  nearly  three  times  the  size  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. As  we  approach,  the  river  grows  more  and  more 
crowded  with  craft  of  all  kinds,  until  the  tangle  of  boats 
is  so  great  that  it  seems  as  if  we  could  not  possibly  get 
through ;  but  with  much  shouting  and  confusion  we  finally 
succeed  and  tie  up  at  one  of  the  wharves. 

Here  in  Canton,  as  in  other  Chinese  cities,  the  foreigners 
live  by  themselves  in  a  section  which  they  have  made  to 
resemble  in  many  ways  their  Western  homes.  No  one  ex- 
cept a  Chinaman  could  live  and  work  surrounded  by  such 
crowds  and  smells  and  dirt  as  are  found  in  the  native 
quarters.  The  foreign  settlement  in  Canton  is  on  an  island 
in  the  river,  where  we  shall  find  attractive  houses,  gar- 
dens, and  l)road  streets  well  lighted  and  paved.  But  all 
these  we  can  find  in  our  cities  at  home,  and  as  we  wish 
to  see  new  sights,  we  will  remain  for  a  time  in  the  native 
quarter. 

Can  you  imagine  a  city  of  a  million  and  a  third  people, 
one  of  the  largest  centers  of  the  most  populous  nation  on 
earth,  with  no  wagons  in  it,  or  horses,  or  other  beasts  of 
burden  ?  Can  you  imaghie  St.  Louis  with  no  water  supply 
except  what  is  obtained  from  the  river  and  carried  around 
tlie  streets  in  pails  by  water  carriers  ?  Can  you  picture 
Chicago  with  no  electric  lights  and  with  no  street  cars; 
wiih  policciiicii  will)  sound  a  rattle  as  they  make  their 
rounds  in  the  darkm-ss,  to  frighten  away  rather  than  cap- 
ture burglars;  with  l)uildiiigs  only  one  story  high  instead 
of  skyscrapers;  with  streets  only  eight  feet  wide  and  in 
some  cases  roofed  over  with  matting  to  keep  out  the  sun  ? 


48  ASIA 

Can  you  imag-ino,  in  front  of  the  stores,  long,  narrow  ver- 
tical signboards  several  feet  long  and  brilliantly  painted 
in  yellow  and  black  ?  If  you  can  picture  all  these  things, 
you  will  then  have  some  idea  of  what  certain  parts  of  the 
Cliinese  city  of  Canton  are  like. 

As  in  other  Chinese  cities,  each  kind  of  business  is  carried 
on  in  a  section  by  itself.  The  little  shops  with  open  fronts 
\\hi(li  Ime  the  alley-like  streets  are  extremely  interesting. 
We  see  not  only  the  goods  for  sale  but  the  men  at  work 
on  them.  There  are  jade  polishers,  carvers  of  ivor}',  sandal- 
wood, and  teakwood,  and  fan  makers  pressing,  drying,  and 
l)in(liiig  th(!  huge  palm  leaves.  Perhaps  the  matting  on  your 
floor,  the  candied  ginger  root  which  you  like  so  much  to 
eat,  or  that  beautifully  embroidered  silk  robe  which  you  saw 
displayed  in  a  shop  Avmdow  may  have  come  from  some  little 
shop  in  Canton. 

There  are  markets  with  curious  products,  such  as  birds' 
nests  for  soups,  which  only  the  rich  people  can  afford,  and 
rats  for  the  very  poorest.  There  are  many  shops  filled  with 
articles  which  the  Chinese  think  their  dead  may  need  in 
another  world  —  paper  money,  weapons,  and  tools.  These 
are  purchased  in  great  quantities,  as  not  even  the  poorest 
Chinese  coolie  would  tliiiik  of  allowing  any  of  his  relatives 
to  wander  through  another  Avorld  lacking  the  means  of 
making  himself  comfortable.  Canton  is  a  center  of  the  silk 
industry,  and  besides  the  thousands  of  little  shops  such 
as  we  have  described,  there  are  large  factories  filled  with 
modern  machinery. 

Having  seen  the  great  waterways  and  a  few  of  the  cities 
of  this  interesting  nation,  let  us  next  visit  the  country  por- 
tions and  see  the  farmers  at  work.    We  shall  find  the  farms 


THE  LAND  OF  GREAT  WATERWAYS  49 

small  and  the  methods  of  work  strange  to  us,  but  for  all 
that,  the  Chinese  are  the  best  farmers  in  the  world  and 
care  for  their  tiny  farms  in  a  way  that  would  make  even 
a  thrifty  New  Englander  open  his  eyes  in  astonisliment. 

TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 

r 

1.  Queer  customs  of  the  Chinese. 

2.  Age  of  the  Chinese  Empire. 

3.  Isolation  of  the  country. 

4.  Size  and  population. 

5.  Land  of  great  waterways. 

6.  The  Amur  River. 

7.  The  Hwang  River. 

8.  The  Yangtze  River. 

9.  Cities  of  the  Yangtze  valley. 

10.  The  Grand  Canal. 

11.  The  Pei  River. 

12.  Tientsin  and  Peking. 

13.  The  Pearl  River. 

14.  Hongkong  and  Canton. 

II 

1.  What  do  you  know  of  the  ancient  history  of  Persia,  Egypt, 
Greece,  and  Rome? 

2.  Name  the  natural  boundaries  which  separate  the  Chinese 
possessions  from  the  rest  of  Asia. 

3.  How  wide  is  the  Pacific  Ocean?  How  long  does  it  take  to  sail 
from  Hongkong  to  San  Francisco? 

4.  What  river  for  a  jtart  of  its  course  bounds  Manchuria  on  the 
north?   Which  is  the  most  useful  river  of  China? 

5.  Fiml  the  mountains  in  which  each  river  rises. 

6.  Write  a  list  of  the  Chinese  cities  which  are  mentioned  in  this 
chapter.  Beside  each  one  write  the  name  of  a  city  in  Europe,  and 
one  in  America,  in  the  same  latitude;  make  another  list  of  European 
and  American  cities  of  about  the  same  size. 


50 


ASIA 


7.  Name  the  waters  sailed  ou  aud  the  cargoes  carried  in  going 
from  Shanghai  to  some  port  in  England ;  in  France ;  in  Germany. 

8.  Sketch  a  map  of  the  Chinese  provinces.  Show  in  it  the  following* 

a.  The  surrounding  countries  aud  waters. 

b.  The  chief  cities. 

c.  The  chief  rivers. 
(I.  The  Grand  Canal. 

9.  Name  any  articles  that  you  have  seen  which  you  tliink  may 
have  come  from  China. 


Ill 

Be  able  to  spell  and  pronouuce  tlie  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  about  it  in  this  chapter. 


British  Kmpire 

Russian  Empire 

Persia 

Siberia 

Japau 

Egypt 

Greece 

Rome 

France 

England 

Germany 

Holland 

Minne.sota 

Louisiana 

Texas 

Florida 

Mongolia 

Manchuria 

Tibet 

Chihli 

Szechwan 


San  Fiuuciseo 
St.  Louis 
Chicago 
Hongkong 
Iciuuig 
Nanking 
Tientsin 
Hangchow 
Peking 
.Shanghai 
Yangtze  River 
Hwang  River 
Pei  River 
Pearl  River 
Amur  River 
Sungari  River 
Hudson  River 
Mississippi  River 
jMissouri  River 
Columbia  River 


CHAPTER  III 
CHIXESE  rAK:SIS  AND  FARMERS 

In  undeveloped  countries  the  majority  of  people  are  usu- 
ally farmers,  each  one  raising  on  his  little  farm  the  whole  or 
a  part  of  his  food  suppl3^  China  is  such  a  country,  and  the 
Chinese  are  the  most  economical  and  industrious  farmers 
to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world.  Most  of  the  farms 
are  small  ones  of  t\\'o  or  three  acres  each,  yet  so  carefully 
are  they  cultivated  tliat  this  little  area  supports  a  whole 
family  in  Avhat  the  Chinese  consider  a  comfortable  way. 

The  Chinese  possessions  include  such  a  large  area  that 
the  climate,  and  therefore  the  products,  of  the  northern  and 
southern  portions  differ  greatly.  Everywhere  except  in  the 
extreme  north  the  land  is  made  to  yield  at  least  two  crops 
a  year,  and  in  the  southern  regions  e\'en  more. 

Every  farmer  cultivates  as  much  land  as  he  can  irrigate 
and  fertilize.  These  areas  are  so  small  that  there  are  parts 
of  the  country  which,  though  fertile,  are  as  yet  undeveloped. 
No  land  in  the  cultivated  regions  is  wasted.  One  reason 
why  th(!  roads  are  so  narrow  is  In'cause  the  farmer  pushes 
his  crops  inch  by  inch  out  into  the  highway  until  this 
becomes  a  mere  footpath.  'IMie  nuul  washed  down  by  the 
heavy  rains  is  scraped  u[)  and  returned  to  the  fields.  The 
traffic  on  these  narrow  roads  is  very  heavy,  and  they  gradu- 
ally become  lower  until  they  lie  below  the  level  of  the  land 
around,  and  in  wet  weather  are  simply  ditches  and  mudlioles. 

51 


52  ASIA 

Little  land  can  be  spared  for  orchards  except  those  of 
the  luulbenv,  and  evi'ii  liere  beans  and  other  vegetables 
are  planted  between  the  rows  of  trees.  Fences  are  seldom 
seen,  but  sometimes  useful  trees,  such  as  the  mulberries  or 
bamboos  set  close  together,  serve  the  purpose.  The  banks 
which  separate  the  rice  fields  are  planted  with  a  single  row  • 
of  beans,  and  even  the  grains,  barley,  rye,  wheat,  and  millet 
are  sown  in  rows,  so  that  some  crop  which  ripens  at  a  dif- 
ferent time  may  be  planted  between  tlicni.  __^-~-^ 

Besides  the  more  common  vegetables  such  as  are  raised 
in  the  middle  and  northern  parts  of  the  United  States,  the 
grams  mentioned  above  are  the  chief  product  of  northern 
China.  Millet  is  the  most  important  of  them  all  and  is 
raised  in  great  (juan titles.  Wheat  is  the  chief  food  grain 
in  our  country,  but  millet  and  rice  are  used  in  the  East. 
Millet  grows  to  about  the  same  height  as  corn,  which  it 
resembles  in  appearance,  though  it  has  a  smaller  stalk  and 
a  narrower,  thinner  leaf.  The  giant  millet  grows  even  taller 
than  our  tallest  corn.  The  grain  is  crushed  and  ground  into 
flour,  the  stalks  yield  a  rich  sirup  and  a  coarse  sugar,  and, 
w^hen  dried,  are  used  for  fodder  and  fuel. 

Of  all  the  products  of  Chuiese  farms,  tea  and  silk  are 
the  most  valuable.  Their  cultivation  and  manufacture  will 
make  so  long  a  story  that  we  shall  need  a  separate  chapter 
for  each  of  them.  One  farm  product  Avhich  has  been  raised 
very  extensively  in  China,  and  which  has  been  the  cause  of 
poverty  and  suffering,  is  the  poppy  plant,  from  which  opium 
is  made.  For  many  centuries  its  cultivation  was  forbidden 
in  China.  It  was,  however,  raised  m  great  quantities  in 
India,  and  hundreds  of  tons  of  opium  were  sold  in  Chinese 
ports.    It  was  impossible  to  stop  the  importation,  as  the 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS  53 

trade  was  in  the  hands  of  English  firms  who  were  powerful 
enough  to  do  as  they  pleased  m  the  matter.  Rather  than 
see  so  much  money  go  out  of  the  country  to  pay  for  the 
drug,  the  Chinese  government  permitted  the  plant  to  be 
cultivated  at  home.  Soon  thousands  of  acres  were  devoted 
to  the  raishig  of  poppies,  which  in  many  provinces  took  the 
place  of  wheat  and  millet,  thus  causing  famine  and  suffering. 

The  poppy  was  a  profitable  crop,  as  a  little  opium  has  a 
greater  money  value  than  a  much  larger  quantity  of  grain. 
It  is  easily  harvested  and,  on  account  of  its  small  bulk, 
is  readily  transported  on  the  backs  of  carriers  or  in  wheel- 
barrows. Perhaps  you  wonder  why,  if  opium  is  such  a 
profitable  crop,  the  Chinese  government  should  have  made 
laws  forbidding  its  cultivation.  One  reason  was  that  the 
land  was  needed  for  food  crops ;  another  was  because  of 
the  very  bad  effect  that  opium  has  on  those  who  use  it. 
Opium  smokers  become  lazy  and  mdifferent,  unable  to 
thmk  well  or  to  do  hard  work.  After  one  has  become 
accustomed  to  its  use,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  give  it  up. 
The  Chinese  were  no  exception,  and  the  opium  smokers 
would  part  with  almost  anything  to  obtain  the  drug. 
Crops,  lands,  liouses,  and  in  some  cases  even  wives  and 
children  were  sold  to  procure  it,  until  in  many  provinces  the 
majority  of  the  people  were  reduced  to  miserable  poverty. 

So  bad  did  conditions  become  that  the  government  finally 
took  the  matter  in  hand  and  decided  to  abolish  its  culti- 
vation and  its  use.  This  has  been  a  hard  matter  to  accom- 
plish, as  the  government  is  handicapped  for  help.  In  the 
(nited  States  the  government  would  be  aided  by  the 
churclics  and  newspapers  and  magazines,  the  schools  and 
woman's    clubs    and    other    organizations,    but    we    must 


54  ASIA 

reiiieiiihcr  tliiit  tlio  ('hinese  government  lias  no  such  helps 
in  |)utti^^■  llirmmli  iniy  rel'orin.  There  is  no  preaching  such 
as  we  have  in  onr  churches;  the  schools  would  not  think 
of  taking  up  snch  questions;  women  liave  no  place  in 
pnhlic  life,  no  part  in  any  discussions;  there  are  few 
newspapers  and  fewer  magazines  prmted ;  the  Chinese  sel- 
dom leave  their  liomes  to  make  visits  or  to  travel  through 
the  country,  so  there  are  but  few  ways  of  spreading  new 
thoughts  or  of  reaching  the  people. 

So  long  as  China  remained  a  nation  of  opium  smokers 
it  was  probable  that  she  would  never  progress  far  in  civi- 
lization and  power,  but  with  the  curse  removed  there  is 
no  reason  why  she  may  not  advance  in  industries  and  com- 
merce and  gradually  take  her  place  among  the  important 
nations  of  the  world. 

If  bread  is  the  staff'  of  life  in  Europe  and  America,  its 
place  is  taken  in  eastern  Asia  by  rice,  which  is  the  staple 
food  for  the  majority  of  the  people  of  China,  Japan,  India, 
and  the  East  Indies.  These  are  the  most  densely  populated 
regions  of  the  world,  and  it  is  said  that  more  people  live 
on  rice  than  on  any  other  grain.  'J'o  su])ply  the  immense 
demand  for  it,  millions  and  even  billions  of  pounds  are 
raised  in  Asia.  To  draw  the  crop  of  China  alone,  estimat- 
ing two  tons  to  an  animal,  the  horses,  if  harnessed  in 
pairs,  would  reach  nearly  halfway  around  the  world.  Rice 
is  raised  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  country,  but  southern 
China  is  the  rice  region  and  the  southei-n  Chinese  are  the 
rice  eaters.  The  grain  has  been  their  chief  food  for  thou- 
sands of  years,  and  for  centuries  they  have  carefull}^  studied 
its  cultivation  in  order  to  get  as  large  crops  as  possible  from 
their  tinv  farms. 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS 


55 


The  products  of  any  laud  depend  largely  on  its  soil, 
surface,  and  climate.  In  China  these  are  well  suited  to  the 
production  of  rice.  In  the  warmer  portions  of  the  country 
there  are  many  low  plains  and  fertile  river  valleys,  where 


'  '  Keystone  View  Co. 

!"](,.  l'.».    Kick  Fiki.ds  akk  incloskd  by  Low  Eakth  Banks 


the  rice  plant  flourishes  and  where  the  many  streams  fur- 
nish plenty  of  water  for  irrigation.  'I'he  fields  are  inclosed 
with  low  earth  Ijaid^s  in  order  tliat  the  crop  may  be  flooded 
wliile  it  is  growing.  There  is  no  pretticir  sight  than  a  Cliinese 
rice  field  when  the  grain  lias  just  coNcrcd  the  marshy 
ground   with   a  tliick,  grassy  mat  of  soft,   delicate  green. 


6G  ASIA 

Not  all  parts  of  China,  liowever,  are  low,  level,  and 
easily  flooded,  but  so  necessary  is  the  rice  crop  to  the 
people  that  in  many  places  the  farmers  have  terraced  the 
hillsides  and  surrounded  each  terrace  with  low  walls.  These 
liii^liei'  t'iirnis  need  irrigating  even  more  than  the  low  lands. 
\'>\  means  of  \\ater  wheels  tnnie(l  hy  loot  power  or  by  nndes 


Fici.  20.  A  Small  Child  oftkn  kii>es  on  the  Back  of  the  Buffalo 

TO  SEE  THAT  IT  DOES  NOT  STRAY  TOO  NEAR  THE  CrOPS 

or  buffaloes  the  water  is  lifted  to  the  uppermost  terrace, 
from  which  it  trickles  down  over  the  lower  ones.  In  our 
trip  through  the  country  we  shall  see  many  buffaloes,  which 
are  the  common  farm  animal  of  southern  China.  Some  are 
taking  their  daily  nap  in  the  nuuldy  water  of  river  and 
canal,  where  flies  and  mosquitoes  cannot  annoy  them;  some 
wander  slowly  along  the  banks,  nibbling  the  green  grass, 
while  small  children,  perched  on  their  backs,  see  that  they 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS  57 

do  not  stray  too  near  the  crops ;  others  are  slowly  drawing 
through  the  flooded  rice  fields  small  wooden  plows,  which 
churn   the  soil  into  a  rich  liquid  mud. 

The  fields  of  China  have  been  cultivated  for  thousands 
of  years,  yet  there  is  no  sign  of  soil  exhaustion.  This  is 
due  partly  to  its  fertility,  but  largely  to  the  painstaking 
care  of  the  Chinese  farmer.  Fuel  and  fertilizer  are  his  two 
greatest  necessities.  Streams  are  dredged  and  fields  and 
highways  scraped,  and  what  cannot  be  burned  is  used  on 
the  farm.  The  muck  from  canal  beds,  the  sewage  of  the 
cities,  the  thick,  muddy  water  of  the  rivers,  the  refuse  from 
the  home  —  all  are  used  to  enrich  the  soil  of  the  small 
strip  of  land  which,  m  thousands  of  cases,  keeps  the  family 
from  starvation. 

Rice  is  first  sown  in  some  small  patch,  where  it  springs 
up  as  thick  as  grass.  The  fields  where  it  is  to  be  planted 
are  flooded  to  a  depth  of  three  or  four  inches,  and  after 
the  soil  has  been  softened  by  the  water,  the  farmer  stirs  it 
with  his  ph:)w  into  a  thick  mud.  We  should  hardly  care  to 
join  the  rice  planter  in  liis  work,  for  he  is  usually  bare- 
footed, ankle  deep  in  mud  and  water,  and  many  of  these 
farmers  suffer  in  conseciuence  from  diseases  of  the  feet 
and  from  rheumatism. 

Look  at  those  people  in  their  ])ig  hats,  wading  in  the 
water  to  transplant  tlic;  rice.  They  take  tlu;  green  shoots 
a  few  at  a  time  from  the  plot  where  the  seed  was  first 
sown,  make  deep  lioles  in  the  mud  about  ten  inches  apart, 
set  the  plants,  and  press  the  earth  firndy  about  them.  All 
througli  the  summer  tliey  Avork  in  the  muddy  field,  lioeing, 
weeding,  and  lloodiiiL;-  the  pr(!ci()us  crop,  until  in  the  fall 
the  tall  yellow  grain  is  ready  f(jr  harvesting.    'J'lie  farmer 


58 


ASIA 


iind  ]iis  family  start  in  the  early  morning  for  the  fields^ 
often  s<Miie  distance  away.  The  babies  are  piled  on  the 
wheelbarrow  with  the  kettle  of  rice.  The  mother  often 
rides  too,  for  if  her  feet  liave  been  bound  it  is  liard  for  her 
to  walk.  The  father  pushes  tlie  load,  Mhile  the  older  chil- 
dren run  along-  the  narrow  ])ath  which  serves  for  a  road. 


©Cnderwoorl  *  riidiTwood 

Pig.  21.    Wixii  his  Plow  the  Fakmkk  stirs  the  Soil  and  Water 
INTO  A  Thick  Mud 


Let  us  visit  the  field  with  the  reapers  and  see  how  the 
harvest  is  gathered.  Tlie  country  is  beautiful  at  this  time 
of  the  year.  Many  acres  are  covered  with  the  tall  yellow 
grain,  which  from  a  distance  looks  not  unlike  a  field  of 
wheat.  Tlie  water  has  been  let  off  and  the  fields  are  drier 
than  at  any  time  since  the  rice  Avas  planted.  The  farmer 
cuts  the  rice  with  a  sickle,  and  one  of  the  boys  helps  him 


CHINESE  FAROES  AND  FARMERS 


59 


tie  it  up  in  bundles,  while  the  wife  and  the  other  children 
glean  the  field  clean  of  every  straw.  Later  they  will  pull 
up  even  the  roots  and  carefully  save  them  to  add  to  the 
fuel  pile  at  home.    The  next  day  the  sheaves  of  rice  may 


I  I'ndcTwnml  &  rnderwooil 

Fig.  tt.  TiiK  FAUMKurs  in  tiiksi;  Eastern  Lands  hkat  out  the  Pke- 
cious  Grain  by  Hand  with  Long  Wooden  Flails,  which  they  swing 

VIGOROUSLY    HIGH   OVER  THEIR    IIeADS 

be  placed  in  the  low  forks  of  trees  or  on  bamboo  poles,  as 
the  little  farm  is  on  the  banks  of  a  river  whicli,  in  one  of 
its  frefjuent  floods,  miglit  wash  away  the  grain  if  it  were 
stacked  on  the  ground. 


60 


ASIA 


Every  Chinese  village  has  at  least  one  threshing  floor, 
and  many  of  them  have  several.  They  are  made  ot"  hard 
caidi  or  concrete,  and  after  the  harvest  thne  they  are  the 


^■1 

1      fc  '''  '■' ■ 

mf-^-.  ~ 

__j 

*^^ 

m^^' 

■iP^ 

\ 

PF^ 

'     I    :  A 1  .V  1'imI.  r»,H...l 

Fio.  23.    A  Common  Methou  in  Japan  is  to  uhaw  the  Rick  by 
Handfui.s  through  a  Coarse  Comb 

busiest  places  in  the  village.  On  one  we  might  see  the 
farmer  and  his  family  beating  ont  the  grain  with  long 
wooden  flails,  which  they  swing  high  over  their  heads.    On 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS 


61 


another  we  might  find  the  patient  buffalo  going  back  and 
forth,  treading  out  the  rice  witli  its  heavy  feet.  A  common 
method  in  Japan  is  to  draw'  the  rice  by  handfuLs  through 
a  coarse  comb,  then  take  it  to  the  threshing  floor  and  thro\Y 
it  by  shoveKuls  into  the  air ;  the  wind  blows  away  the  light 
chaff  and  dust,  and  the  rice  falls  back  in  a  heap  by  itself. 
Let  us  take  a  handful  and  examine  it.  It  is  covered  with  a 
brown  husk  and  looks 
very  different  from  the 
white,  polished  grain 
which  we  use.  Un- 
husked  rice  is  called 
"paddy,"  and  in  these 
Eastern  countries  it  is 
stored  with  the  husk 
on,  as  it  keeps  better 
when  thus  protected. 
Before  being  used,  it 
is  put  into  a  wooden 
mortar  and  pounded 
with  a  mallet  to  re- 
move the  brown  cover- 
ing. The  pounding  of 
rice  is  the  daily  work  of  the  women  and  children,  and  is 
a  familiar  sound  in  almost  every  village  of  eastern  Asia. 
When  the  husk  is  removed,  the  grain  is  rough  and  dull. 
The  smooth,  pearly  wliilc  lice  which  we  use  here  in  the 
United  States  has  been  polislied  l)y  Ix'ing  thrown  by 
machinery  against  rollers  covered  with  skin.  It  is  said 
that  the  outer  part,  which  is  thus  scoured  off,  contains  as 
mucli  nourisliment  as  tliat  wliicli  is  left.    The  jxdislicd  rice, 


©  Keystone  View  Co. 

Fi<j.  24.    Pounding  Kick  is  the  Daily 

Work   of   the    Wojien    and   Children 

IN  THE  Countries  of  Eastern  Asia 


62  ASIA 

therefore,  which  is  cutcii  in  llic  United  States  is  not  so 
heakhful  as  the  unpohslied  grain  tliat  is  eaten  iii  Eastern 
countries.  Indeed,  it  is  doubtful  if  the  Chinese  cooHe,  if 
fed  on  the  smooth,  pohslied  rice,  would  thrive  as  well  as  he 
does  on  the  ihiller  kei-nels. 

Most  of  us  would  feel  that  we  fared  rather  poorly  if  we 
had  nothing  for  dinner  but  a  l)owl  of  rice,  especially  if  we 
hud  to  eat  it,  as  the  Chinese  do,  with  ehopsticks.  As  fuel 
is  scarce  in  ('liina,  rice  is  not  always  cooked  fresh  for  every 
meal.  A  large  quantity  is  cooked  at  a  time,  and  this  is 
warmed  over  by  adding  iiot  water,  which  in  the  cities  can 
be  bought  from  street  venders  cheaper  tlian  it  can  be 
heated  at  home. 

Tlie  ('liinese  know  how  to  cook  rice  very  nicely.  They 
l)oil  it  in  such  a  way  thateach  grain  is  soft  and  tender,  yet 
liiiii  ami  separate  from  the  others.  Millions  of  peojde  live 
and  work  on  a  diet  of  rice,  with  a  bit  of  lish  or  some  vege- 
tables, or,  more  rarely,  a  little  meat,  added  to  give  a  flavor. 
They  seldom  eat  rice  by  itself  or  with  milk,  as  we  do;  to 
most  of  the  Chinese  milk  is  an  entirely  unknown  article. 
A  few  cattle  are  raised  in  the  northern  part  of  the  country, 
but  on  the  densely  populated  plains,  where  every  inch  of 
ground  is  used  for  the  necessary  food  crops,  none  can  be 
spared  to  furnish  grass  for  cattle. 

It  is  said  that  a  Chinaman  can  live  comfortably  if  sup- 
plied with  only  two  products,  rice  and  bamboo.  There  are 
other  grains  besides  rice  which  perhaps  might  serve  as  his 
food,  but  it  is  hard  to  see  how  he  could  get  along  without 
the  bamboo  plant.  In  southern  China  the  houses  and  many 
of  the  furnishings  are  made  from  it.  It  is  used  for  tables, 
chau's,  dishes,  mats,  baskets,  umbrellas,  hats,  canes,  pens, 


CHINESE  FARMS  AXD  FARMERS 


63 


and  paper.  The  seeds  are  ground  into  meal,  and  the  tender 
shoots  are  cooked  for  food.  The  bed  for  sleeping,  the 
chopsticks  for  eating,  the  broom  for  sweeping,  and  the  fuel 
for  cooking  are  all  made  from  bamboo. 

On  account  of  the  amount  of  care  and  labor  necessary 
to  produce  a  good  crop  of  rice,  it  is  rather  an  expensive 
grain.  Few  of  the  poor  people  in  the  noithern  part  of  the 
country,  where  little 
rice  is  raised,  can  af- 
ford to  use  it.  Thou- 
sands of  them  li\'e  on 
millet  instead,  and 
many  others  on  sweet 
potatoes,  the  very 
poorest  families  some- 
times cooking  and 
eating  even  the  vines. 
Many  kinds  of  fish  are 
eaten,  and  a  variety  of 
vegetables,  such  as 
turnips  and  cabbages 
and  especially  beans. 
Pickled  beans,  bean  curd,  and  soy,  a  kind  of  hot  sauce 
something  like  the  Worcestershire  sauce  with  which  you 
are  familiar,  are  all  conmion  dishes.  Besides  these  food 
crops  there  are  thousands  of  acres  in  China  devoted  to 
cotton,  the  chief  clotliing  material  of  the  people.  In  tlie 
winter  the  cotton  garments  are  padded  to  make  them 
warmer,  and  the  wearer  increases  the  numlx;r  as  the 
weather  grows  colder.  The  Chinese  measure  the  tempera- 
ture by  the  number  of  coats  they  wear  rather  lliau  by  a 


Fig.  2.5.  Peoplk  in  Northern  China  live 
ON  Millet.   They  grind  the  Grain  be- 
tween Two  Stones 


64  ASIA 

tlu'imometer.  They  speak  of  the  weatlier  as  a  two-coat 
cold  day  or  a  I'ovir-coat  cold  day,  as  the  case  may  be. 

Ainoug  other  farms  which  we  might  visit  in  southern 
Chnui  are  those  where  sugar  cane  is  grown.  The  Chinese 
do  not  refine  the  sugar  until  it  is  white  like  ours,  but 
simply  boil  down  the  sap  into  brown  cakes  somewhat  re- 
sembling our  ma[)le  sugar.  Great  quantities  of  the  juicy 
eaue  are  wrapped  in  matting  and  sent  to  the  northern 
provinces,  wliere  it  is  cut  into  short  sections  and  sold  to 
the  people,  who  suck  the  sweet  sap  which  it  contains. 

Most  of  the  farmers  of  China  live  in  villages  and  towns 
and  sometimes  go  considerable  distances  to  their  work  in 
the  lields.  Let  us  visit  one  of  these  villages  and  see  how 
the  workers  of  this  great  nation  live.  The  country  through 
which  we  are  passing  looks  very  different  from  that  which 
surrounds  villages  and  towns  in  the  United  States.  There 
are  no  forests  or  pastures  or  meadows,  no  haystacks  or 
cattle,  no  barns  or  windmills.  Instead,  we  see  the  open  fields 
intersected  by  a  network  of  canals  and  surrounded  in  many 
cases  by  low  green  banks.  There  are  few  orchards  except 
those  of  mulberry  trees,  and  the  only  shrubs  are  the  acres 
of  tea  plants  which  cover  the  hillsides.  Not  a  stone  or  a 
weed  or  a  useless  stalk  of  any  kind  is  in  sight.  Land  is 
too  precious  in  the  crowded  parts  of  China  to  waste  any 
in  neglected  corners  or  weedy,  uncultivated  areas. 

Now  that  we  are  nearer  the  village,  we  see  its  brown  mud 
walls,  and  soon  we  pass  tlu-ough  the  gate  and  find  ourselves 
in  the  midst  of  the  people.  How  low  and  dirty  and  crowded 
the  houses  are!  We  see  no  pleasant  porches  or  front  yards, 
no  lawns  or  parks,  or  any  of  the  things  which  make  our 
towns  so   attractive.     The   mean    little  dwellings   cluster 


CHINESE  FARMS  AXB  FARIVrERS  65 

thickly  together  along  the  narrow  street  and  on  the  banks 
of  the  canals.  These  serve  as  the  waterways,  the  wells, 
the  washtubs,  and  the  bathtubs  for  the  entire  population. 
Luckily  for  the  health  of  the  Chinese,  they  seldom  if  ever 
drink  cold  water.  Tea  made  from  boiling  water  is  the 
universal  drink. 

Of  course  there  are  in  China  many  wealthy  people  who 
have  fine  residences,  where  the  grounds  occupy  several  acres. 
These  are  inclosed  by  walls,  so  that  one  sees  nothing  attrac- 
tive from  the  outside.  Inside,  however,  there  are  pretty 
parks,  lily  ponds  bright  with  goldfish,  tiny  streams  and 
artistic  bridges,  miniature  mountains  and  green  valleys, 
beautiful  gardens,  and  orchards  of  tempting  fruit.  But 
those  who  can  afford  such  homes  are  few  compared  with 
the  poorer  working  people,  who  in  any  country  make  up 
the  bulk  of  the  population.  In  China  most  of  these  live  in 
little  one-story  houses  made  of  reeds  or  mud  or  bamboo,  or, 
in  the  north,  of  sun-dried  brick,  with  thatched  or  tiled  roofs. 
Black  pigs  (the  most  common  domestic  animal  in  China), 
hens,  chickens,  and  ducks,  and  reddish-brown  Chinese  dogs 
wander  in  and  out  of  the  houses  at  will,  adding  more  dirt 
to  the  already  filthy  brick  or  earth  floor. 

Let  us  peep  into  one  of  tlic  houses.  The  small  rooms 
look  very  full.  There  are  few  outbuildings  in  Chinese 
villages,  and  everything  is  stored  in  the  houses.  In  the 
comers  are  jars  of  grain,  farming  tools,  and  a  spinning 
wheel  and  loom.  On  a  lono-  shelf  ncnir  the  ceilinjj  are 
turni}>s,  cabbages,  and  other  vegetables,  some  jars  of  pickles, 
and  some  of  watermelon  seeds,  of  which  the  Chinese  eat 
great  quantities.  The  njonis  have;  no  closets,  and  the,  few 
clothes  of  the  family  are  either  packed  in  a  small  chest  or 


66  ASIA 

laiiiii^  on  a  ItainlitMi  l)ar.  At'tt-r  scciiiiL;-  tlicir  lioines  we  do 
not  wkikUt  lliat  tilt'  (liiiii'Sf  propk' carry  dh  imich  ol'  their 
work  ill  the  stri'cts. 

An  ardiitt'cl  wtuilil  lind  hiisincss  very  didl  in  China;  the 
houses  ail'  sn  much  aUkc  that  thi-rc  is  no  lu'cd  of  liaving 
any  plans  drawn.  Tlicre  is  iiuL  a  chiniiiey  in  the  village; 
the  smoke  goi^s  out  wluTe  it  ean.  or,  if  it  finds  no  outlet, 
it  sta\s  ill.  ( 'o!isc(|iic!it  l\  the  kitchens  arc  black  with  soot. 
What  a  (jucer-looking  stove  that  woman  is  cooking  on  !  It 
is  hnilt  ot  hrick.  and  on  it  is  sonu^  rice  cooking  in  a  kettle 
Uiiich  larger  than  the  one  your  mother  uses.  In  a  smaller 
dish  some  chopi)ed  meat  and  vegetables  are  boiling.  Food 
is  usually  cut  into  small  ])ieces,  as  no  knives  or  foi'ks  are 
used  at  table. 

How  should  yoii  like  to  eat  with  chopsticks?  The 
Chinese  use  these  smooth  round  sticks,  about  as  large  as 
a  lead  pencil,  instead  of  knives  or  forks  or  spoons.  A 
Chinese  boy  or  girl  can  empty  a  bowl  of  rice  or  meat 
very  <|ui('kly  with  a  pair  of  them,  but  I  am  sure  that 
you  would  get  impatient  befoiv  you  could  satisfy  your 
hunger. 

See  that  sober-faced  little  girl  feedmg  the  fire  with  sti'aw 
and  leaves!  Uhe  light  fuel  burns  so  quickly  that  she  is 
kept  constantly  busy.  Except  in  tlie  extreme  northern 
part  of  tlie  country,  fire  is  used  only  to  cook  with  and  not 
to  warm  the  houses.  In  tlie  colder  portions  of  ('liina,  flues 
to  carry  the  heat  from  the  stove  are  built  under  tlie  low 
brick  platform  which  sei'ves  for  a  bed.  In  the  winter  time, 
though  one  may  lind  his  bed  too  hot  to  be  comfortable 
on  retiring,  he  is  likely  to  become  cold  before  morning, 
as  the  fire  dies  down  quickly. 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS  67 

In  the  United  States  the  family  gatherings  around  the 
table  in  the  evening,  with  books  and  games  and  pleasant 
conversation,  are  very  delightful  even  among  poor,  hard- 
working people.  Not  so  in  Chinese  homes.  The  only  light 
in  thousands  of  houses  is  a  twist  of  cotton  in  an  iron  cup 
of  some  vegetable  oil.  The  flickering  flame  does  not  light 
the  mean  little  room,  and  the  family  often  go  to  bed  with- 
out any  light  at  all.  Kerosene  oil  and  cheap  lamps  are 
beinsr  introduced  into  China,  and  someone  has  said  that 
kerosene  may  prove  as  great  a  civilizer  as  the  missionary. 
If  it  affords  a  means  by  which  the  family  can  gather  in 
the  evening  for  a  social  hour,  for  reading,  or  for  study, 
it  certainly  will  help  in  elevating  the  life  of  the  poor. 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  something  of  the  edu- 
cation of  these  neighbors  of  ours  across  the  Pacific.  In 
most  Chmese  homes,  except  the  very  poorest,  the  boys  are 
sent  to  school,  even  if  great  sacrifices  have  to  be  made  to 
keep  them  there.  An  old  Chinese  proverb  says,  "  Better 
to  rear  a  pig  than  to  bring  up  a  son  who  will  npt  read." 
Until  very  recently  the  highest  offices  were  given  to  the 
students  who  could  pass  the  highest  examinations.  Every 
parent  was  ambitious  to  have  his  sons  educated,  as  other- 
wise no  position  of  honor  was  open  to  them.  AVith  the 
girls,  the  Chinese  thought,  an  education  was  of  very  little 
advantage,  as  they  would  live  a  secluded  life  in  the  home. 
If  they  were  able  to  spin  and  weave,  to  cook  the  rice,  beau 
curd,  and  stews,  little  more  was  expected  of  them. 

An  old  Chinese  school  would  seem  like  a  queer  place  to 
us.  When  our  schools  are  in  session,  we  expect  the  building 
to  be  very  quiet,  but  we  can  hear  the  noise  from  a  Chinese 
school  before  we  reach  it.    Every  boy  is  studying  aloud. 


68 


ASIA 


"Of  coui'st',"  says  tlic  scliooliiiaster ;  "  liow  else  shall  I 
kiiDW  that  they  are  studying  at  all?"  Over  and  over  agam 
thr  puj)!!  repeats  the  long,  hard  lessons  until  he  is  sure  of 
tlieiii.  Tliis  iiifiiHiry  work  is  about  the  only  task  which  a 
Chinese  selioollMn    has,   and   he   must   do   it    tlioroughly  or 


1 

wm 

K           ^ 

J 

i^^S^^Hn 

1  i  -^ 

^^^^^^C2^^'* 

^ 

E^Hsk^^BL^^^^^SH^^^^I 

9R 

If 

pi 

ii 

I^BU^j^ 

l-I. 


liii.  I'lrii.*  idMi:  TO  Tiiii  Front  of  the  Koom  and  tukn 
TiiEiu  Backs  to  the  Teacher 


punisjinient  will  surely  follow.  Now  the  master  is  to  have 
a  recitation.  The  pupils  stand  in  a  row  in  the  front  of  the 
room  and,  with  low  ])ows,  turn  their  backs  to  the  teacher 
and  repeat  the  long  lesson  they  have  learned.  "  How 
queer,"  you  say,  "  to  recite  with  one's  back  to  the  teacher !  " 
But  again  the  master  replies,  "  Why,  of  course ;  how  else 
can  I  be  sure  that  the  pupil  does  not  get  a  peep  at 
the   book   which  I  hold?" 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS  69 

There  are  many  reasons  why  you  would  not  enjoy  the 
old-time  Chmese  school.  The  sitting  on  the  floor  or  on 
hard  benches  would  be  uncomfortable,  the  noise  would  tire 
your  head,  and  the  long  hours  \yould  be  wearisome.  A 
Chinese  boy  goes  to  school  before  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  He  studies  until  ten,  when  he  goes  home  for  his 
breakfast.  He  goes  to  school  again  from  eleven  to  one,  and 
again  after  lunch,  if  he  has  one,  until  five  or  six  o'clock. 
He  has  no  Saturday  holiday  or  even  a  Sunday  ofl^,  for 
except  in  a  few  places  there  are  no  weekly  days  of  rest  in 
China.  He  has  a  few  days  scattered  through  the  year  when 
he  or  the  master  attends  some  wedding  or  funeral  or  en- 
joys some  feast  or  festival,  but  his  only  real  vacation  is 
two  weeks  at  New  Year's,  when  everybody,  young  and  old, 
takes  a  holiday. 

You  would  find  the  lessons  in  a  Chinese  school  long  and 
dull.  Except  in  a  few  of  the  most  modern  ones  there  is  no 
science,  no  geography,  no  music,  no  drawing,  nothing  but 
the  memorizing  of  long,  dull  pages  of  Chinese  history  or 
the  sayings  of  Confucius,  that  ancient  writer  whose  books 
are  regarded  by  the  Chmese  in  much  the  same  way  as  the 
Bible  is  by  us. 

Formerly,  and  to  some  extent  at  the  present  time,  the 
training  of  all  boys  was  just  alike,  regardless  of  the  posi- 
tions which  they  might  hold  later.  The  young  man  who 
could  pass  the  best  examination  on  the  rather  useless  sub- 
jects taught  in  the  schools,  who  could  write  the  best  essay, 
or  compose  the  finest  i)oem  was  sure  of  the  highest  office. 
Nothing  else  counted  in  gaining  a  position.  You  can  im- 
agine that  such  an  education  did  not  fit  a  man  to  become 
a  mhiister  of  war  or  of  finance  or  to  be  an  officer  in  the 


70  ASIA 

iuinv  «•!■  navy.  It  is  no  wonder  that  with  officials  trained 
in  such  luiiiraclical  ways  the  country  did  not  advance 
rapidly.  lla{)|)ily  t()-(hiy  different  ideas  in  regard  to  educa- 
tion are  heginnini;  to  prevail  More  schools  are  being 
established,  broader  and  more  practical  subjects  taught  in 
them,  and  better-trahied  teachers  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  them.  The  education  of  girls  is  slowly  beginning.  It 
will  take  time  for  these  improvements  to  reach  all  parts 
of  such  a  great  country,  but  now  that  a  start  has  been 
made  we  can  hope  for  better  thhigs  for  China  in  the 
future. 

If  you  should  ask  a  Chinese  how  many  children  he  had, 
he  would  tell  you  only  the  number  of  l)oys,  as  he  does  not 
consider  the  girls  of  suthcient  importance  to  be  counted. 
During  the  lirst  yeais  of  her  life  a  little  Chinese  girl  spends 
her  time  j)laying  with  other  little  girls  and  boys.  After  she 
is  eight  or  ten  years  old  she  must  not  play  or  speak  with 
any  boys  or  men,  nor  must  she  be  seen  in  public  any  more. 
To  be  sure,  one  sees  numbers  of  women  on  the  streets  of 
("hinese  cities.  These  belong  to  the  poorer  classes.  The 
higher  one  goes  in  the  scale  of  society  the  more  secluded 
the   women   are  kept. 

A  (hinese  girl's  life  is  dreary  and  monotonous.  In  a 
family  of  the  higher  class  she  is  seldom  seen  out  of  the 
house,  though  there  is  little  in  it  to  interest  or  amuse  her. 
She  has  no  books,  few  games  and  companions,  and  she  sel- 
dom makes  visits.  She  spends  her  time  in  spinning  and 
weaving,  feeding  the  silkworms,  taking  care  of  the  babies, 
embroidering  her  shoes,  cooking  the  rice  and  vegetables, 
and  scraiiing  the  soot  from  the  bottom  of  the  rice  pot.  If 
the  family  is  poor,  she  may  go  out  into  the  fields  to  gather 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMERS  71 

fuel,  pick  the  tea  leaves,  or  even  do  the  heavier  work  of 
carrying  burdens  on  her  shoulders  like  the  men. 

The  life  of  a  Chinese  girl  is  so  hard  that  in  many  cases 
she  welcomes  the  day  when  the  matchmaker  comes  to  her 
home  to  make  arrangements  with  her  parents  for  her  mar- 
riage to  some  boy,  whom  perhaps  she  has  never  seen.  When 
she  is  married  she  will  leave  her  old  home  forever  and  be- 
come the  slave  of  her  mother-in-law.  The  life  of  a  young 
wife  is  always  a  hard  one  until  lier  own  sons  have  grown 
up  and  married.  Then  her  lot  becomes  easier,  as  her 
daughter-in-law  will  do  the  hard  work  for  her  as  she  did 
in  her  time  for  her  husband's  mother.  A  wife  who  has  no 
sons  is  much  to  be  pitied.  Nothing  else  will  give  her  so  high 
a  standing  in  the  connnunity  or  bring  her  so  much  respect 
from  her  neighbors  as  a  family  of  boys.  If  a  Chinese  gentle- 
man has  no  sons,  he  often  adopts  some  relative  or,  failing 
that,  even  some  stranger.  To  understand  why  a  son  is  so 
necessary  we  must  know  something  of  the  Chinese  religion. 

Christianity  has  been  intrijduced  by  missionaries,  but  as 
yet  it  has  few  followers  compared  with  the  otlier  great 
religions  of  the  country.  The  majority  of  the  Chinese  are 
followers  of  Confucius,  a  great  philosopher  who  lived  and 
taught  hundreds  of  years  before  Clu-ist.  Confucius  said 
little  about  Cod  or  heaven,  but  taught  the  people  to  love 
goodness  for  its  own  sake;  and  to  perform  certain  duties, 
chief  among  them  being  to  lionor  and  serve  one's  parents, 
to  obey  one's  elders,  and  to  be  loyal  to  one's  sovereign. 
The  respect  shown  to  parents  and  ancestors  has  been 
carried  to  such  an  extent  that  it  amounts  to  worship. 
Few  Chinese  children  would  think  for  a  minute  of  disobey- 
ing their  parents,  and  no  penalties  are  so  severe  as  those 


72  ASIA 

inllictt'd  for  criiucs  (•(Hiiiiiittcd  aj^ainst  them.  So  great  is 
tilt'  it'spcci  ill  wliii'h  parents  are  held,  however,  that  it  is 
st'ldoin  m'l-t'ssary  to  inflict  pnnislnnent. 

lilocks  of  wood  with  inscriptions  on  them,  called  ances- 
tral taUlcts,  arc  round  in  every  lionsc,  and  each  morning 
the  nicmhcrs  of  the  tamily  kneel  before  them  with  offer- 
ings. The  graves  of  ancestors  are  visited  at  stated  times, 
and  U)nd  and  uKuiey  (made  of  red  paper)  are  left  on  the 
moiuitls  which  mark  the  resting  places.  The  son  of  the 
liouse,  or,  where  there  are  several  sons,  the  eldest,  takes 
charge  of  these  ceremonies,  and  for  that  reason  all  parents 
desire  a  son,  in  oi'der  that  their  s[)irits  may  be  cared  for 
in  another  world. 

Vou  can  easil>  understand  that  when  respect  for  one's 
ancestors  is  carried  to  such  an  extent,  it  must  have  a  bad 
effect  on  the*  progress  of  a  country.  The  young  people 
think  they  can  do  no  better  than  to  follow  in  the  footsteps 
of  those  for  win  mi  they  have  such  reverence.  Hence  it  is 
hard  to  introdiice  new  customs,  new  ways  of  doing  things, 
modern  machinery,  and  time-saving  and  labor-saving  de- 
vices. But,  tied  as  they  are  to  old  methods,  the  Chinese 
are  learning  many  things  from  the  foreigners  who  are  doing 
business  in  the  country.  They  are  beginning  to  realize 
something  of  the  enormous  resources  waiting  to  be  devel- 
oped in  the  country,  and  the  tremendous  power  of  the 
ffiui-  hundred   million   people  within  its  borders. 

'J'he  broad,  thoughtful,  progressive  men  of  China  have 
come  to  see  that  if  their  country  is  to  advance,  they  must 
build  railroads,  open  mines,  sink  oil  wells,  harness  water 
power,  erect  mills,  adopt  machinery,  reforest  mountains, 
construct    irrigation    works,    introduce    better    breeds    of 


CHINESE  FARMS  AND  FARMEKS  73 

domestic  animals  and  plants,  and  apply  science  to  the 
production  of  food.  They  must  drop  ancestor  worship, 
prohibit  foot-binding,  educate  their  girls,  elevate  the  posi- 
tion of  women,  introduce  better  systems  of  education,  and 
restrict  child  labor. 

The  Western  world  is  waiting  to  see  these  things  accom- 
plished. It  is  turning  its  thoughts  to  this  great  awakening 
nation  and  trying  to  predict  what  its  future  will  be  when 
it  is  fully  aroused  to  its  own  great  strength  and  possibili- 
ties. A  Chinese  official  recently  said  to  the  delegates  from 
some  foreign  countries,  "  You  are  all  anxious  to  wake  us 
up  and  to  start  us  on  a  new  road,  and  you  will  do  it ;  but 
you  will  all  regret  it,  for,  once  awakened  and  started,  we 
shall  go  fast  and  far — farther  than  you  think,  much  farther 
than  you  wish." 

TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  Size  of  Chinese  farms. 

2.  Variety  of  crops  raised. 

3.  Economy  of  Chinese  farmers. 

4.  Millet  and  its  uses  in  northern  China. 

5.  Pop{)y  farms  and  opium. 

6.  The  cultivation  of  rice  and  its  im{)ortaiice. 

7.  Uses  of  bamboo. 

8.  The  cotton  industry. 

9.  The  production  and  manufaitture  of  sugar. 

10.  A  Chinese  village. 

11.  Chinese  homes  and  their  furnishings. 

12.  Education  in  China. 

13.  Life  of  a  Chinese  girl. 

14.  The  religion  of  China. 

15.  The  future  of  China. 


74  ASIA 

ir 

1.  Mnko  n  list  of  all  products  which  V"^"  think  may  be  grown 
in  the  iiortlitM-ii  jtart  of  "The  Land  of  Great  Waterways";  in  the 
southern  jiart. 

2.  Sketch  a  map  of  the  country.  "Write  the  names  of  the  chief 
products  in  the  regions  where  they  are  raised. 

3.  Describe  the  route  by  which  a  boatload  of  rice  would  go  from 
some  city  on  the  Yangtze  River  to  Peking. 

4.  Ship  a  cargo  of  rice  from  India,  and  one  from  Japan,  to  China ; 
to  the  I'nited  States.  Name  the  waters  sailed  on  in  each  voyage,  and 
the  shipping  and  receiving  ports. 

5.  Write  a  list  of  the  uses  of  bamboo.  Write  opposite  the  name  of 
each  article  tiie  material  of  which  it  is  made  in  the  United  States. 

6.  Tell  some  of  the  industries  which  you  think  will  be  carried  on 
in  China  in  the  future. 

7.  Take  a  trip  from  your  home  city  to  China.  Name  the  railroads 
on  which  you  will  travel;  the  sailing  port;  the  places  of  call  on  the 
ocean  voyage  ;  the  cargo  carried  by  your  steamer  j  the  time  necessary 
for  the  journey. 


CHAPTER  IV 
TEA  FARMS  AND  TEA  DRINKERS 

The  century  in  which  we  are  living  is  a  time  of  special- 
ties and  specialists.  Not  many  years  ago  the  family  physi- 
cian was  the  highest  authority  in  any  case  of  sickness  which 
might  arise.  To-day  we  liave  specialists  for  the  ear,  the 
eye,  the  brain,  and  many  other  organs.  In  our  great  manu- 
facturing plants  one  superintendent  cannot  look  after  all 
the  departments ;  each  one  has  at  its  head  a  man  who  is 
a  specialist  in  that  particular  line. 

We  might  liken  different  countries  to  the  departments 
of  a  great  industrial  establishment.  Chile,  for  instance,  fur- 
nishes most  of  the  nitrates  of  the  world ;  South  Africa,  the 
diamonds  ;  Italy,  the  macaroni ;  Persia,  the  most  wonderful 
rugs ;  France,  immense  quantities  of  wine ;  Switzerland, 
fine  laces  and  embroideries;  England,  splendid  ships;  and 
Ireland,  l)eautiful  linens. 

Wliat  a  blessing  it  is  that  all  countries  do  not  produce 
the  same  crops  or  manufacture  the  same  articles  !  On  ac- 
count of  the  position,  soil,  surface,  climate,  drainage,  or 
water  power,  or  because  of  some  special  skill  which  the 
[)eople  liave  developed,  each  nation  furnishes  its  own 
I)eculiar  offering  for  the  comfort  or  enrichment  of  the  world. 

In  a  large  Jiiaindacliiriiig  plant  the  hcaiis  of  (l('i)ai'(ments 
liave  much  genci'al  iiitormation  as  well  a,s  tlie  technical 
knowledge  concerning  their  particular  part  of  the  work ; 

76 


76  ASIA 

so  tlio  couutrios  of  tlic  world  yield  many  common  useful 
prodiK-ts  besides  the  one  or  more  specialties  for  which  they 
are  piirticularly  noted.  Fifty  years  ago  tea  was  a  specialty 
of  China.  To-day  we  shall  have  to  call  it  a  specialty  of 
sonthern  and  eastern  Asia,  for  Japan  has  found  it  a  very 
protitahle  crop,  and  English  planters  are  cultivating  it  in 
large  plantations  in  India  and  Ceylon. 

Man  has  found  many  foods  in  grains  and  roots  and  herbs, 
but  he  uses  only  four  beverages  of  great  commercial  im- 
portance. Many  of  the  alcoholic  drinks  are  considered 
haniiful.  and  nations  are  trying  to  limit  rather  than  to  en- 
eourage  their  use  ;  coffee  is  a  strong  stimulant,  and  some 
people  find  it  injurious;  cocoa  is  nourishing  but  rather 
heartier  than  many  people  desire.  Tea,  when  properly  made, 
is  the  t)nly  light,  stimulating  drink  which  most  people  can 
drink  with  no  ill  effects.  It  is  often  spoiled  in  the  making, 
as  many  people  do  not  know  how  to  prepare  it.  I  will  give 
you  a  recipe  for  making  a  good  cup  of  tea.  Draw  some 
fresh  water  and  allow  it  to  come  to  a  boil.  When  it  is  boil- 
ing har<l,  pour  it  over  a  teaspoonful  or  less  of  tea  leaves  and 
let  them  remain  in  the  water  from  three  to  six  minutes ; 
then  pour  off  tlie  li(piid.  Taken  immediately,  with  a  little 
cream  and  sugar  or  with  a  slice  of  lemon,  it  is  a  delicious, 
refreshing  drink.  The  w'ater  should  never  be  allowed  to 
boil  after  the  tea  is  added,  as  a  substance  called  tannin  is 
developed  which  is  not  wholesome.  The  secret  of  good  tea 
making  is  to  get  the  flavor  of  the  tea  without  the  mjurious 
tannin. 

An  inmiense  quantity  of  tea  is  consumed  annually  in  the 
countries  where  it  is  a  popular  beverage.  The  United  States 
imports  every  year  more  than  one  hundred  million  pounds, 


TEA  FARMS  AND  TEA  DRINKERS 


77 


yet  Americans  are  not  reckoned  among  the  great  tea  drinkers 
of  the  world.  We  average  only  a  httle  less  than  a  pound 
for  each  person,  while  our  English  cousins  drink  much  more 
than  this  amount,  and  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  use  more 
than  all  the  rest  of  the 
nations  put  together. 

In  both  of  these 
Eastern  countries  tea 
is  used  at  all  times  of 
the  day  as  freely  as 
we  use  water.  The 
cup  of  tea  in  homes 
and  stores  and  places 
of  amusement  is  al- 
ways handy.  The  Jap- 
anese are  a  healthy 
race,  and  the  popula- 
tion is  increasing  very 
rapidly,  which  speaks 
well  for  the  healthful- 
ness   of   the   national 

beverage.  In  China  the  common  water  supply  is  from  the 
dirty  rivers  and  canals,  yet,  strange  to  say,  epidemi(;s  rarely 
visit  the  country.  This  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that 
a  Chmaman  seldom,  if  ever,  drinks  cold  water,  but  uses  it 
boiled  in  his  tea. 

Half  a  century  ago  about  all  of  the  tea  used  in  the  United 
States  came  from  China.  To-day  we  import  great  quanti- 
ties not  only  from  China  but  from  Japan,  Formosa,  India, 
and  Ceylon.  The  demand  in  Europe  and  America  for  tea 
grown  in  tlic  two  latter  countries  is  increasing  very  rapidly, 


'  >©  Keystone  View  Co. 

Fig.   27.    The    Hillsides    around   are 

COVERED  WITH  TeA  ShRUBS,  AND  THE 

Broad  Valleys  are  Green  with  the 
Rice  Plant 


78  ASIA 

and  by  visiting  both  a  Cliinese  and  an  Indian  tea  farm  and 
ftdiipiuiiig  tlu'  nu'tliods  wliich  are  used  on  each  we  shall 
discttvcr  tlu-  n-ason  for  this. 

(ircat  (jiiaiititifs  dt'  tea  are  raised  on  the  slopes  of  the 
hills  in  the  Yangtze  valley.  Let  us  go  into  the  fields  and 
watch  the  people  at  work.  AVhat  a  wonderful  view  spreads 
(lilt  Ifforc  lis!  There  in  the  lowlands,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
i-racli.  lie  tlic  liflds  of  rice,  a  jialc  L;rt't'ii  carjx't  with  lines 
of  (hukiT  green  show  ing  the  low  earth  banks  ])uilt  to  hold 
in  the  water  Mheii  the  lields  are  Hooded.  Stretching  up 
from  the  \alle\'  toward  the  siinniiit  of  thi'  hills  ai'e  the  tea 
farms;  each  one  is  a  tiny  unit  ot"  oidy  a  few  acres,  but  there 
are  so  man\-  of  thcni  that  the  lines  of  plants  stretch  on  and 
(»n  until  lo>i  ill  the  disiaiit  haze,  'i'lie  bushes  are  from  three 
to  live  feet  hi^h.  'I'hey  would  grow  niiicli  taller,  but  tliey 
aie  ke[)t  primed  back  to  a  height  IVoui  w  hicli  it  is  com cnieiit 
to  pick  the  leaves. 

Below,  ill  the  valley  lietweeii  the  rice  tields  and  tea 
orciiards,  are  the  huts  of  the  pickers.  While  the  mists  of 
early  morning  still  hang  thi(;k  over  the  lowlands  the  women 
and  ehildren  come  toiling  up  the  hillsides  to  the  bushes, 
where  they  work  all  day  picking  the  young,  tender  leaves 
near  the  ends  of  the  shoots.  These  bushes  have  been  picked 
once  before  this  spring,  in  April,  and  now,  in  early  June, 
are  yielding  their  second  harvest,  the  principal  one  for  the 
season.  The  leaves  will  be  gathered  once  more  during  the 
summer,  but  the  tea  which  is  made  fnmi  the  third  picking 
is  of  an  inferior  grade.  Tea  plants  yield  their  first  harvest 
w  hen  they  are  about  three  years  old.  After  this  their  leaves 
are  pickeil  three  times  a  year  for  eight  or  ten  years,  when 
the  plants  are  replaced  by  new  ones. 


TEA  FARMS  AND  TEA  DRINKERS  79 

Soon  the  baskets  are  heaped  with  the  tender  green  leaves, 
which  in  shape  and  size  somewhat  resemble  small  rose 
leaves.  As  the  sun  sinks  over  the  hills  the  tired  workers 
go  down  the  paths  to  the  little  huts  in  the  valley.  They 
are  weary  with  their  long  day's  work,  but  before  retiring 
they  must  prepare  the  leaves  which  have  been  gathered. 


Fiti.  'Zb.    Tin.    Li;avj:s    ai;i;    iiikn   si'ueau  out  on  a  Table,  where  a 

WORKAIAN    ROLLS    THEM    BACK    AND    FORTH 

During  the  day  men  aii<]  boys  have  brought  the  baskets 
down  from  the  hillsides  and  have  spread  the  leaves  to  dry 
in  shallow  pans.  They  are  next  put  into  roasting  pans, 
which  are  heated  by  fires  underneath.  Here  they  are  shaken 
and  rolled  and  moved  about  for  several  minutes  and  then 
spread  out  upon  a  table,  where  a  workman  rolls  them  back 


80  ASIA 

aiul  t'ortli  with  a  peculiar  motion  of .  his  hands.  They  are 
tlu'n  (hied  in  llii*  open  air  and  again  heated  and  shaken 
ovi'r  a  slow,  steady  tire.  Tlicy  are  finally  twisted  and  curled 
l»v  rolling  in  the  hands,  until  they  look  hke  the  tea  which 
we  l»n\  IVoiii  our  grocer.  Later,  while  the  rest  of  the  family 
are  away  on  the  hills,  those  left  at  home  will  spend  the 
long  hours  sifting  and  sorting  the  dried  leaves  and  making 
then:  ready  for  the  merchants,  who  Avill  soon  come  to  buy 
up  the  ciop  of  the  village. 

There  are  some  large  tea  factories  in  China,  but  the 
greater  part  of  tlie  innnense  crop  of  several  hundred  million 
])onn(ls  is  prepared,  just  as  it  has  been  for  centuries,  in  the 
little  cottages  of  the  villages  or  in  small  sheds  built  for  the 
purpose.  Most  of  the  product  of  Japan  and  Formosa,  as 
well  as  that  of  China,  is  prepared  by  hand,  and  you  can 
readily  see  that  where  each  farmer  handles  liis  own  crop  in 
the  same  way  that  liis  father  and  grandfather  did  before  him, 
there  is  little  uniformity  or  improvement  in  the  quality  of 
the  tea.  Just  here  lies  the  reason  for  the  rapid  growth  and 
the  uicreasing  popularity  of  the  teas  of  India,  Ceylon,  and 
Java.  In  these  countries  tea  is  raised  on  large  estates  em- 
ploying hundreds  of  laborers,  and  the  picking  of  the  leaves 
is  about  the  oidy  part  of  the  work  done  by  hand.  In  the 
great  factories  there  are  rolling  machines  and  drying  ma- 
chines with  hot  blasts  and  revolving  fans,  from  which  the 
crisp  leaves  come  out  pure  and  clean. 

In  spite  of  her  unsanitary  methods,  China  is  the  greatest 
tea  producer  in  the  world.  As  she  awakens  to  new  ways 
and  int  n  iduces  modern  machinery  her  tea  industry  is  growing 
in  like  i)roj)ortions,  for  the  soil,  climate,  and  surface  of  the 
country  are  well  adapted  to  the  crop.    The  Chinese  have 


TEA  FARMS  AND  TEA  DRINKEES  81 

objected  to  the  use  of  machinery  on  the  ground  that  if  a 
machine  requiring  only  one  or  two  hands  to  run  it  can  do 
the  work  of  twenty-five  men,  the  other  twenty-three  or  four 
will  necessarily  be  out  of  employment.  They  have  fought 
the  introduction  of  railroads  for  the  same  reason,  arguing 
that  the  thousands  of  human  carriers  who  now  convey  most 
of  China's  burdens  on  their  backs  or  push  them  in  heavily 
laden  wheelbarrows  will  have  nothing  to  do.  They  do  not 
yet  realize  that  in  order  to  furnish  food  for  the  greedy 
machmes,  to  dispose  of  the  products,  and  to  supply  the 
loads  for  the  puthng  engines,  a  thousand  new  occupations 
will  spring  into  being  and  old  industries  will  need  more 
hands. 

In  a  previous  chapter  we  spoke  of  the  religion  in  China 
being  one  of  the  causes  of  her  lack  of  progress.  Another 
is  the  superstitious  character  of  the  people  and  their  belief 
m  spirits,  lucky  days,  and  magic.  It  is  said  that  the  Chmese 
language  has  no  word  for  patriotism,  but  that  there  are 
nearly  a  hundred  to  express  good  luck.  The  Chinese  ob- 
ject to  high  houses  or  tall  chimneys  belching  dark  clouds 
of  smoke,  because  they  may  offend  the  spirits  of  the  air. 
The  long,  dark  shadows  from  telegraph  poles  would  have 
the  same  effect  on  the  sj)irits  of  the  ground.  Awful  disas- 
ters, which  have  not  happened,  were  foretold  if  the  puffing 
engines  with  their  heavy  loads  should  be  allowed  to  rumble 
through  the  country. 

Can  you  imagine  what  a  bother  it  would  be  for  you  to 
have  to  wait  for  a  lucky  day  to  come  before  you  could  be- 
ghi  to  go  to  school,  make  a  visit,  start  a  piece  of  work,  get 
married,  or  even  be  buried  ?  Comparatively  few  bodies  are 
buried  within  a  few  days  of  death,  as  is  the  custom  here. 


82 


ASIA 


Often  months  and  even  years  pass  before  the  body  is  taken 
to  its  final  resting  i)lac'e.  'Hie  Chinese  think  that  if  the 
earth  should  l)t"  disluriu'd  on  an  unlucky  day,  the  spirits  of 
the  ground  would  be  so  angry  that  dreadful  disasters  might 
overtake  the  living  relatives.  Their  crops  might  be  de- 
stroyed, their  animals  die,  or  the  niend)ers  of  their  family 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fui.  29.    It  is  said  that  in  China  more  Land  is  occupied  by 
Graves  than  by  Cities 

become  ill :  and  in  the  spirit  world  still  worse  things  might 
happen  to  the  dead  person  himself. 

When  a  lucky  day  finally  comes,  the  body  is  taken  to  a 
lucky  place,  even  if  this  happens  to  be  on  the  most  fertile 
field  of  the  little  farm.  A  tenth,  and  in  extreme  cases  a 
fifth,  of  tlie  small  amount  of  land  owned  by  the  farmer  is 
often  occupied  by  the  gra.ves  of  his  ancestors,  and  large 


TEA  FARMS  AND  TEA  DRmKERS 


8a 


areas  are  thus  lost  to  cultivation.  Indeed,  it  is  said  that 
in  China  more  land  is  occupied  by  graves  than  is  covered 
by  cities.  The  graves  of  their  dead  are  peculiarly  sacred,  as 
the  Chinese  believe  that  the  spirit  will  sometime  reenter  the 
body.  If  the  resting 


place  of  some  re- 
spected ancestor  is 
disturbed  and  his 
body  removed  to  an- 
other spot,  his  spirit 
may  be  doomed  to 
wander  forever  with- 
out a  body. 

The  evil  spirits 
which  the  Chinese 
thmk  so  numerous 
cause  a  great  deal 
(jf  trouble  in  other 
ways.  They  always 
fly,  so  the  people 
think,  m  straiglit 
lines.  Consequently 
the  roofs  curve  up 
at  the  lower  edges 
and  corners,  and  the 

streets  are  made  with  many  corners,  so  that  the  spirits 
cannot  fly  easily  through  the  cities  and  towns  ;  and  for  the 
same  reason  the  doors  of  the  houses  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  street  are  not  in  line.  Before  the  doors  of  many  houses 
screens  are  placed,  so  that  the  evil  spirits  will  fly  agahist 
them  and  be  prevented  from  entering. 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  30.   The  Roofs  of  the  Buildings 
curve  up  at  the  corners 


84 


ASIA 


When  we  think  of  all  these  superstitious  beliefs,  we 
wondt'i-  thiit  ('hinese  farmers  accomplisli  as  much  as  they 
(1(1.  A  tier  the  needs  of  the  family  are  supplied  there  is  lit- 
tle left  to  exiHirt,  hut  the  people  are  so  industrious  and  eco- 
nomical, and  tiie  tiny  farms  are  so  numerous,  that  the  total 
amount   of  goods  carried  thi'ough  and  out  of  the  country 

is  enormous.  Each 
farmer  packs  his  tea 
or  rice  or  silk  or 
cotton,  and  either 
shoulders  the  bur- 
den or  loads  his 
wlieelbarrow  and 
carries  or  pushes  his 
})roduct  to  the  near- 
est canal  or  river, 
whence  it  is  shipped 
to  the  great  centers. 
Enormous  quanti- 
ties of  tea  are  tlms 
taken  to  the  Yangtze 
River  and  shipped 
down  to  Hankow, 
the  greatest  tea  market  of  China.  Foochow  is  another  im- 
portant center,  and  so  numerous  and  so  productive  are  the 
farms  in  the  surrounding  country  that  more  than  thirty 
thousand  coolies  are  engaged  in  carrying  tea  into  the  city. 
By  train  and  by  boat  enormous  quantities  are  sent  to 
Peking,  where  long  lines  of  shaggy  camels  utter  their  odd 
cries  of  j)rotest  as  they  kneel  to  receive  their  loads.  We 
can  see  them  restmg  ui  the  city  streets  and  on  the  march 


Fk..;j1.   A\'i:  (AN  sKii  C"ami:i.-         mi    ,Mahcii 

OITSIKE  THE  WaLLS  OF  PEKING 


9 


TEA  FAEMS  AND  TEA  DRINKERS  85 

outside  the  walls.  They  will  carry  tea  and  other  Chinese 
products  northward  into  Manchuria,  Mongolia,  and  Siberia, 
and  westward  into  far-away  provinces  of  Central  Asia.  In 
southern  China  thousands  of  coolies,  with  sweat  rag,  fan, 
and  load  of  tea,  trudge  for  weeks  along  the  narrow  paths 
of  Tibet,  that  isolated  mountain  land  of  which  the  world 
knows  so  little. 

In  the  harbor  at  Hankow,  European  steamers  wait  for 
their  loads  of  tea.  In  former  years,  as  soon  as  it  was  stored 
in  their  holds  they  started  on  then-  long  ocean  race,  each 
vessel  trying  to  make  the  greatest  possible  speed,  as  the 
tea  first  landed  commanded  the  highest  price.  To-day,  how- 
ever, the  tea  sent  by  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad  enters  the 
Russian  market  before  any  other. 

Many  of  the  tea  merchants  of  Hankow,  and  some  of  the 
steamers  which  sail  from  the  city,  are  from  Russia.  Rus- 
sians are  very  fond  of  tea,  and  some  of  the  highest-priced 
Chinese  product  goes  to  that  country.  Those  who  can 
afford  it  drink  a  great  deal.  The  total  amount  used  in  the 
country  is  not  so  great  as  in  some  others,  as  many  of  the 
Russian  peasants  are  so  poor  that  they  cannot  afford  even 
the  cheap  brick  tea  made  from  the  waste  in  the  factories. 

Not  many  years  ago  in  China  there  were  few  treaty  ports, 
that  is,  cities  where  foreign  nations  were  allowed  to  trade. 
Now  there  are  a  great  many  both  on  the  coast  and  in  the 
interior  of  the  country.  At  some  of  the  most  important  of 
these  —  Shanghai,  Canton,  Hongkong,  and  Amoy  —  large 
steamers,  bound  for  the  United  States  and  European  coun- 
tries. South  America,  Africa,  Australia,  and  far-away 
islands  of  the  globe,  are  being  loaded  with  iliousands  of  lead- 
lined  boxes  containing  the  favorite  beverage  of  the  world. 


86  ASIA 

Tlu'i-e  are  people  \vln»  think  they  can  tell  fortunes  by 
lookint,'  at  the  grounds  in  a  teacup.  The  next  time  you 
look  at  a  cup  of  tea  perhaps  you  will  think,  not  of  your 
i'uturc.  l)iit  (if  llif  riifiue  growth  m  China  of  this  great  in- 
clustrv  whii'h  at  present  is  so  han(licap[H'(l  l)y  the  backward 
coiulitions  of  the  country. 

rol'ICS   FOR  STUDY 
I 

1.  An  age  of  specialties. 

2.  Area  of  tea  jn-oduction. 

3.  Making  tea. 

4.  The  consuiuptiuii  of  tea. 

5.  The  tea  industry  of  China,  Japan,  and  Formosa. 

6.  The  tea  industry  of  India  and  Ceylon. 

7.  Chinese  superstitions. 

8.  Tea  centers  of  China. 

9.  Tea  in  Russia. 

10.  Treaty  ports  and  tea  ships. 

II 

1.  Name  the  countries  from  which  the  most  important  beverages 
of  the  world  are  obtained.  Name  the  chief  port  of  each  country  and 
the  waters  sailed  on  in  a  trip  to  London. 

2.  On  a  map  of  the  world,  color  the  wine-j)roduciug  countries  ;  with 
other  colors  show  the  countries  which  produce  coffee,  cocoa,  and  tea. 

3.  Have  you  ever  tried  to  make  tea?  IIoW  did  your  nictliod  differ 
from  the  one  recommended  here  ? 

4.  How  many  horses,  each  drawing  one  and  one-half  tons,  would 
be  required  to  move  our  annual  importation  of  tea.  Allowing  ten 
feet  for  each  horse,  how  far  would  the  team  extend  ? 

5.  Describe  the  processes  in  the  manufacture  of  tea. 

6.  Ship  a  cargo  of  tea  to  the  United  States  from  Japan,  China, 
and  India.  Name  the  shipping  and  receiving  ports  and  the  waters 
sailed  on  in  each  voyage. 


TEA  FARMS  AND  TEA  DRINKERS 


87 


7.  Ou  a  map  of  Asia  show  the  tea-producing  countries  and  all  the 
places  mentioned  in  this  chapter. 

8.  Name  the  ports  in  South  America,  Africa,  and  Australia  to 
which  you  think  tea  is  shipped. 


Ill 

Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.  Locate  each 
place  and  tell  w'hat  was  said  about  it  in  this  and  in  previous  chapters. 


China 

India 

Japan 

Ceylon 

Formosa 

Java 

Manchuria 

Mongolia 

Siberia 

Tibet 

Russia 

South  America 

Africa 

Australia 


Yangtze  River 

Hankow 

Foochow 

Peking 

Shanghai 

Canton 

Hongkong 

Amoy 


CHAPTER  V 
TIBET   AND  TURKESTAN 

The  great  Chinese  republic  is  made  up  of  several  dif- 
ferent divisions,  of  whicli  China  is  the  largest  and  most 
important.  The  densely  crowded  areas,  the  great  cities, 
tiie  boat  population,  and  the  rice,  tea,  and  silk  industries 
belong  chiefly  to  this  one  section,  which  is  about  half  as 
large  as  the  United  States.  Life  in  other  parts  of  the 
country  is  very  different.  Let  us  visit  some  of  the  outly- 
ing divisions  and  contrast  the  sights  which  we  shall  see  in 
them  with  the  things  which  we  have  seen  in  China. 

Besides  this  most  important  province  there  are  four 
other  great  divisions  of  the  Chinese  republic.  These  are 
Tibet  and  Turkestan  in  the  west,  Manchuria  in  the  ex- 
treme northeast,  and  in  the  north,  Mongolia,  separated 
from  China  by  the  Desert  of  Gobi.  Of  these  four  prov- 
inces Manchuria  is  the  most  important,  Turkestan  the 
least  known,  Mongolia  the  most  dreary  and  monotonous, 
and  Tibet  perhaps  the  most  interesting. 

Few  people  realize  the  immense  size  of  the  little-known 
regions  of  Central  Asia.  Tibet  is  a  country  nearly  as  large 
as  Texas,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico,  and  is  the  highest 
inhabited  region  of  the  world.  Imagine  a..^reat  barren 
plateau  from  two  to  three  miles  high  dotted  with  salt 
lakes  and  swept  by  fierce  winds.  It  is  surrounded  by  a 
wall  of  lofty,  snow-capped  mountains,  some  of  them  the 

S3  ^f 


TIBET  AND  TUEKESTAN  89 

highest  on  earth,  in  which  the  chief  rivers  of  China  and 
India  have  their  sources. 

Until  within  a  few  years  Tibet  lias  been  visited  by  very 
few  foreigners.  Tliis  has  been  due  chiefly  to  two  reasons. 
Its  queer  people,  shut  away  from  other  nations  by  the 
great  mountain  wall,  think  of  their  land  as  we  do  of  ours, 
as  the  most  beautiful,  the  richest,  and  the  healthiest  coun- 
try in  the  world.  They  think  that  their  religion  is  the  best 
and  their  civilization  the  highest  of  all  nations,  and  they 
do  not  care  to  see  foreigners  or  to  have  them  enter  their 
country.  Comparatively  few  have  done  so,  as  the  difficulty 
of  getting  mto  Tibet  is  great  enough  to  prevent  anyone 
except  the  most  adventurous  from  attempting  it. 

Whether  one  enters  from  India,  Turkestan,  or  China  it 
is  a  long,  hard  climb  over  cold,  dangerous  mountain  passes. 
In  spite  of  the  dangers,  however,  they  are  constantly  trav- 
ersed by  native  traders  with  loaded  ponies  or  yaks.  A  few 
of  the  passes  are  so  difficult  that  sheep  are  the  only  ani- 
mals that  can  cross  them  safely.  On  some  of  the  routes 
leading  southward  to  India  we  should  meet  long  caravans 
of  sheep,  each  carrying  its  load  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
pounds.  On  arrivmg  at  the  border  of  Tibet,  the  tired,  foot- 
sore animals  rest  for  some  weeks.  Goods  are  exchanged 
between  the  Tibetans  and  the  southern  traders,  and  the 
sheep  are  sheared  and  their  wool  sent  south  to  Indian  fac- 
tories. The  route  is  so  difficult,  the  rate  of  travel  so  slow, 
and  the  periods  of  rest  so  long  and  frequent,  that  the  trip 
occupies  nearly  a  year. 

The  route  into  Tibet  from  Mongolia  and  northern  China 
is  a  historic  highway,  and  for  centuries  pilgrims  have  toiled 
over  it  to  the   holy   city  of   Lhasa,  tlie  capital  of  Tibet. 


90  ASIA 

Lhasa  is  as  sacred  to  these  Eastern  worshipers  of  Buddha 
as  Jerusalem  is  to  the  Jews  or  Mekka  to  the  Mohamme- 
dans. Besides  worshiping  in  the  temple,  many  of  the 
pilgrims  take  a  six-mile  walk  around  the  city,  praying 
constantly  and  kneeling  often.  Many  prostrate  themselves 
every  few  steps,  then  draw  themselves  up,  only  to  measure 
their  length  on  the  ground  again,  thus  making  progress  in 
iiiiicli  the  same  manner  as  the  inchworm  does. 

If  we  are  coming  to  Tibet  from  the  wc^.st,  we  shall  enter 
from  the  Indian  province  of  Kashmir,  through  the  trading 
center  of  Leh.  This  is  the  most  important  route  for  Euro- 
pean trade,  and  Leh  is  the  meethig  place  of  caravans  from 
the  east  and  the  west.  It  is  a  busy  place  of  several  thou- 
sand people,  the  number  being  greatly  increased  at  times 
l)y  tradeis  from  Tibet,  India,  Bokhara,  Turkestan,  and 
even  from  far-away  Mongolia  and  China.  After  the  long, 
wearisome  journey  over  mountains  and  deserts  they  re- 
main at  Leh  for  some  weeks  to  rest  themselves  and  their 
tired  animals  before  starting  on  their  homeward  way.  All 
products  nmst  be  exchanged,  and  all  traffic  carried  on  be- 
tween I'ibet  and  the  sniiounding  countries,  during  the 
.short  sunnner,  when  the  mountain  passes  are  open.  Dur- 
ing the  long,  cold  winter  all  trade  is  at  a  standstill,  as  for 
several  months  of  the  year  Nature  locks  up  this  isolated 
country  with  a  white,  frosty  key.  If  we  entered  Tibet  by 
this  western  route,  we  should  find  ourselves  as  far  from 
Lliasa,  the  capital,  as  St.  Louis  is  from  Philadelphia.  Our 
journey  eastward  to  the  holy  city  takes  us  across  a  rain- 
less, treeless,  desolate  solitude  given  over  almost  entirely 
to  wild  beasts.  We  meet  only  a  few  wandering  tribes,  who 
live  in  these  wastes  and   who  change  their  encampment 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN 


91 


with  the  season  in  order  to  find  food  for  their  flocks  and 
herds.  Their  tents  are  made  of  coarse  yak-hair  cloth. 
Here  is  a  settlement  just  ahead  of  us.  Be  careful  as  you 
approach  not  to  dismount  until  the  people  call  off  their 
dogs,  which  are  barking  furiously  at  us.  These  Mongolian 


Fig.  32.   Wk  gkt  oi;k  Fikst  Gmmi-se  of  the  Imiaiutams  oi   Tibet 

dogs  are  numerous  in  all  the  nomad  camps ;  they  seem 
gentle  enough  with  their  owners,  but  are  unfriendly  to 
all  strangers. 

A^  the  people  come  out  from  their  tents  we  get  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  inhal^itants  of  Tibet.  How  queer  they  look ! 
The  faces  of  the  men  are  wrinkled  and  seamed  from  ex- 
posure to  tlie  cold  iiiid  dust  and  wind  and  the  glare  of 
tlie  sunlight.  Tlie  women's  faces  are  covered  with  a 
black,  dirty  grease  which,  if  it  is  put  on  to  preserve  the 


92  ASIA 

complexion,  is  worse  than  wrinkles  and  crow's-feet  could 
possibly  be.  The  nomads  do  not  shake  hands,  but  give 
us  a  cordial  greeting  by  thrusting  out  their  tongues  full 
length  and  invite  us  to  enter  their  tents.  In  spite  of  the 
dirt  and  the  smells  we  are  glad  to  see  how  they  live, 
though  one  visit  is  quite  enough. 

Around  the  tents  are  accumulations  of  dirt  and  refuse, 
and  as  we  step  inside,  the  odor  of  unwashed  people,  badly 
preserved  skins,  and  stores  of  old  cheese  make  us  almost 
wish  that  we  had  refused  the  hospitable  invitation.  There 
are  no  tables  or  chairs,  and  we  sit  down  on  the  skin-covered 
ground  and  lean  back  against  tlie  boxes  which  line  the  edge 
of  the  tent.  Scattered  around  on  the  ground  and  hanging 
from  the  walls  are  pots  and  pans,  water  jars,  and  skins 
containing  oatmeal  or  barley  meal  and  butter.  The  butter 
is  made  from  the  milk  of  the  yak,  sheep,  or  goat,  and  is 
preserved  in  skuis  for  months  and  even  years  before  it  is 
considered  fit  to  eat.  A  stove  made  of  mud  occupies  the 
center  of  the  tent,  the  smoke  from  which  is  supposed  to 
go  out  through  a  crack  overhead  left  for  the  purpose. 
Perhaps  some  does  find  its  way  out,  but  a  great  deal  stays 
inside  and  covers  the  sides  of  the  tent  and  everything  in 
it  MMth  a  coating  of  soot. 

Should  you  like  to  stay  to  dinner  ?  You  might  enjoy 
it  once,  l)ut  I  am  sure  that  afterwards  you  would  wish  to 
carry  your  own  provisions.  In  a  brass  kettle  over  the  fire 
is  some  strong  black  tea  to  which  a  greasy-faced  woman  is 
adding  some  salt  and  some  soda.  She  pours  this  mixture 
into  a  tall  wooden  churn  something  like  those  used  years 
ago  in  New  England.  While  she  churns  the  tea  vigor- 
ously the  family  sit  down  around  the  stove  and  each  one 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN 


93 


takes  from  inside  his  loose  gown  a  small  wooden  bowl.  He 
fills  this  with  tea,  to  which  he  adds  some  of  the  rancid 
butter.  Before  taking  his  first  sip  he  mutters  a  short 
prayer,  dips  his  fingers  into  the  bowl,  and  sprinkles  a  few 
drops  to  the  north,  south,  east,  and  west.  These  prepara- 
tions over,  he  proceeds  to  drink  his  tea  with  great  relish, 
blowing  aside  the  butter  at  every  sip. 
When  the  bowl  is  nearly  empty,  he  pro- 
duces from  somewhere  in  the  folds  of 
his  convenient  gown  a  httle  bag.  From 
this  he  takes  a  handful  of  barley  meal 
and  puts  it  into  the  bowl.  With  his 
fingers  he  mixes  it  with  the  tea  and 
butter  until  it  forms  a  pasty  ball,  which 
he  swallows  at  a  gulp.  He  then  laps 
the  bowl  clean  and  restores  it  to  its 
place  in  his  gown,  where  it  remams  until 
the  next  meal. 

Sometimes  the  food  is  varied  by  boil- 
ing with  the  tea  small  pieces  of  mutton 
or  pork.    After  gnawmg  the  bones  the 
tent  dweller  wipes  the  grease  from  his 
fingers  either  on  his  face  or  his  boots, 
whichever  one  most  needs  lubricating. 
The  Tibetan  has  no  difficulty  in  keeping  his  meat  from 
spoiling.    After  cleaning  it  he  hangs  it  up  in  the  dry,  cold 
air  out  of  reach  of  the  dogs.   The  juices  soon  evaporate  and 
the  meat  dries  up  and  in  this  state  will  keep  indefinitely. 

By  the  time  dinner  is  over,  the  air  in  the  tent  has  become 
so  bad  that  we  are  glad  to  get  out  of  doors  and  continue 
our  journey  through  the  country.    The  most  traveled  path 


Fig.  3.S.    She  pocks 

THE  Tea  into  a  Tall 

WoooEN  Churn 


94 


ASIA 


into  Tibt't  is  tht;  famous  tea  route  from  China.  By  this 
route  the  Chinese  lirst  enteretl  Tibet  as  concpierors,  and 
over  it  to-day  mt)re  trade  is  earried  on  than  on  all  of  the 
other  routes  put  to.s^ether.    Over  this  highway  thousands 


Fu;.  34.    Moke  than  Three  Thousand  Two-Horse  Teams  would  be 

REQUIRED    to     DRAW     THE     TeA     WHICH     IS     CARRIED     OVER    THIS     RoUTE 

Annually  on  the  Backs  of  Coolies 

of  Chinese  coolies  plod  slowly  along,  carrying  on  their 
backs  heavy  loads  of  tea.  This  is  shipped  up  the  Yangtze 
River  to  a  trading  center  at  the  head  of  navigation.  From 
there  it  is  taken  by  coolies  who,  with  a  load  of  two  hun- 
dred pounds  each,  travel  day  after  day  along  the  narrow, 
uneven  patli.   On  the  border  of  Tibet  the  tea  is  transferred 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN  95 

to  the  backs  of  yaks  and  ponies,  and  carried  to  Lhasa  and 
other  parts  of  the  interior.  By  this  slow  means  immense 
quantities  of  tea  and  other  goods  are  taken  every  year 
from  China  to  Tibet.  More  than  tlnee  thousand  two-horse 
teams  would  be  required  to  draw  the  tea  which  is  carried 
over  tliis  route  annually  on  the  backs  of  coolies.  Besides 
the  tea,  large  quantities  of  cotton,  silk,  leather  goods,  sugar, 
tobacco,  and  hardware  are  carried  ui  the  same  slow  way. 
In  return  for  these  goods  the  Tibetans  bring  to  tlie  borders 
of  then-  country  for  export  yak  hides  and  tails,  skins  of 
the  lamb,  fox,  lynx,  and  leopard,  musk,  rhubarb,  and  salt. 

Let  us  follow  the  coolie  procession  which  throngs  this 
old  highway  into  the  eastern  part  of  Tibet,  where  most 
of  the  towns  are  located  and  where  the  greater  part  of 
the  people  live.  We  shall  stop  for  a  while  in  one  of  the 
villages  and  visit  the  people  who  live  on  this  lofty 
plateau.  We  may  not  wish  to  accept  their  hospitality,  as 
their  manner  of  life  does  not  make  a  close  acquaintance 
desirable.  Perhaps  if  we  lived  in  their  country  we  might 
find  their  customs  easier  to  follow  than  our  own.  In  a  re- 
gion where  there  are  several  degrees  of  frost  even  in  the 
warmest  months,  where  tlic  skin  chaps  in  the  cold  air, 
where  there  is  no  fuel  except  dried  niiiiiine,  where  water 
is  scarce  and  receptacles  for  holding  it  are  few,  probably 
we  siioiilil  iiot  take  any  more  baths  or  keep  any  cleaner 
than   tlie  Tibetans  do. 

As  we  approach  one  of  tlie  houses  in  the  village  it  seems 
as  if  we  must  be  mistaken  in  regard  to  the  cleanlhiess  of 
the  people,  for  we  see  what  looks  lik(^  a  part  of  the  family 
wash  flying  from  the  roof.  Tliey  are  not  garments,  liow- 
ever,  but  pi-ayer  flags.    Tlie  peojjle  are  very  religious  and 


96 


ASIA 


[)riiy  a  great  deal,  but  they  think  tlieir  prayers  will  be 
answered  just  as  readily  if  printed  on  a  flag  and  hung  from 
their  houses  as  if  they  spent  their  time  m  saying  them.  We 
shall  liiul  also  hundreds  of  prayer  wheels  in  our  trip  through 
the  country.  These  are  curious  contrivances  containing  rolls 
of  paper  on  wliicli  prayers  are  printed.    By  turning  a  handle 

the  paper  roll  is  wound 
and  unwound.  These 
prayer  wheels  are  of  all 
sizes,  from  small  ones 
easily  carried  in  the 
hand  to  those  as  large 
as  barrels  and  turned 
l)y  wind  or  water. 

How  queer  the  vil- 
lage looks  with  its  roAvs 
of  two-story,  flat-roofed 
buildings  made  of  stone 
or  brick  or  mud.  The 
first  floor  is  occupied  by 
the  animals  —  the  yaks, 
the  sheep,  and  the  goats. 
Steps  on  the  outside 
take  us  up  to  the  second  story,  where  the  family  live.  If 
we  accept  their  invitation  to  dinner,  we  shall  fare  but  little 
better  than  in  the  tent  of  the  nomad  in  western  Tibet.  So, 
instead  of  eating,  we  will  look  around  the  village  and  see, 
if  we  can,  what  these  people  do  all  day  and  in  the  eve- 
nings. The  only  lights  in  the  houses  are  furnished  by  a 
little  twist  of  cotton  or  wool  hi  a  dish  of  butter.  Because 
of  its  age  and  unpleasant  flavor  you  would  probably  like 


Fn..  .■>").   Tm;  I'iiaykk  Whkki.s  contain 

Rolls  ok   1'ai'kr   on   which   Prayers 

ark  printki) 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN  97 

better  to  burn  the  butter  than  to  eat  it,  but  the  Tibetans 
use  large  quantities  of  it  in  their  food  and  cannot  afford  to 
spare  much  to  light  their  houses ;  so,  as  soon  as  it  is  dark, 
every  one  goes  to  bed. 

Most  of  the  men  of  the  village  are  away  from  home  much 
of  the  time.  Some  of  them  are  with  the  caravans,  driving 
the  yaks  and  ponies ;  some  of  them  are  hunting  the  smaU 
deer  from  which  musk,  one  of  the  important  exports  of 
Tibet,  is  obtained ;  some  of  them  spend  their  time  in  re- 
pairing guns  and  kettles,  making  and  mending  saddles  and 
bridles,  and  doing  other  odd  jobs.  Women  as  well  as  men 
work  on  the  little  rocky  farms,  raising  rhubarb  to  be  sent 
over  the  long  route  to  China,  cultivating  the  stunted  grain 
and  the  few  vegetables  that  will  grow  in  this  bleak  land, 
and  watching  and  milking  the  flocks.  Of  all  their  animals 
the  yak  is  the  most  common  and  the  most  valuable  to  the 
people.  They  drink  its  milk,  eat  its  flesh,  weave  cloth  of 
its  hair,  and  load  burdens  on  its  back.  It  is  a  curious- 
looking  animal,  reminding  one  of  a  buffalo  with  skirts  on, 
as  its  hair  is  so  long  and  thick  that  it  hangs  nearly  to  the 
ground.  In  the  summer  the  yaks,  sheep,  and  goats  must 
all  be  sheared,  and  the  wool  packed  for  export  or  cleaned 
and  spun  for  weaving.  In  every  house  is  a  rude  loom  on 
which  the  women  weave  the  coarse  cloth  which  is  used  for 
tent  coverings  and  for  clothing.  In  all  of  the  work  which 
is  carried  on  the  women  have  an  important  place.  They 
rule  in  the  household,  and  theirs  is  the  deciding  voice  in 
any  buying  or  selling  which  is  done. 

The  boys  and  girls  find  plenty  to  do  even  if  they  have 
no  schools  to  go  to  and  no  books  to  read.  They  fetch  the 
water  for  cooking  from  the  brook  or  well.    Tliey  blow  the 


98 


ASIA 


lire  with  a  lullows  made  of  a  goatskin  aiul  stir  the  I'cxxl 
boiling  in  tlir  liivphice.  The}'  wander  for  hours  over  the 
plains  and  mountains,  collecting  fuel,  for  little  wood  is  to 
he  found  on  the  high,  dry  plateaus  of  Tibet,  and  everythmg 
which  will  burn  is  used  to  feed  the  lire.     When  they  are 


Fig.  36.   Of  All  their  Animals  tiii;  Yak  is  xiiji  Most  Commox  and 
THE  Most  Valuable 


older  they  will  watch  the  flocks  and  herds,  milk  the  ani- 
mals, and  dress  skins.  When  the  girls  are  quite  young 
they  learn  to  spin  and  weave,  and  the  boys  to  ride  and 
slioot.  They  have  few  games  but  find  some  time  to  race 
and  slide,  to  practice  throwmg  stones  at  a  target,  and  to 
cast  the  sling  shot.    Their  fun  soon   ends,  as  when   still 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAK  99 

very  young  they  are  obliged  to  join  their  parents  in 
their    hard    fight    for    the    necessities    of    life. 

The  religion  of  Tibet  might  almost  be  classed  among  the 
occupations  of  the  country,  as  nearly  a  fifth  of  the  people 
are  in  some  way  connected  with  its  observances.  In  every 
family  one  or  more  of  the  boys  become  priests,  or  lamas, 
as  they  are  called.  In  traveling,  one  meets  lamas  every- 
where, and  in  the  city  of  Lhasa  alone  there  are  more  than 
twenty  thousand.  They  live  by  themselves  in  communities 
called  lamasaries,  some  of  which  are  as  large  as  small  towns. 
The  lamas  are  a  burden  to  the  country,  as  they  are  sup- 
ported entirely  by  the  rest  of  the  people,  over  whom  they 
have  a  o-reat  influence,  much  of  it  won  through  trickery  and 
deceit.  Education  is  wliolly  in  the  hands  of  these  priests, 
and  as  it  is  easy  to  deceive  people  who  are  ignorant,  the 
lamas  are  careful  to  keep  their  followers  in  that  condition. 

The  Tibetans  are  followers  of  Buddha,  and  believe  that 
the  Grand  Lama  of  Lhasa,  the  ruler  of  the  country,  is  a  god 
closely  associated  with  Buddha  himself.  Consequently  he 
is  worshiped  by  all,  and  the  place  where  he  lives  is  very 
sacred  in  their  eyes.  This  is  the  reason  why  Lhasa  is  re- 
garded with  so  much  reverence  by  all  Buddhists,  in  what- 
ever country  of  Asia  they  may  live,  and  why  thousands  of 
them  are  willing  to^make  any  sacrifice  and  undergo  any 
hardship  for  the  sake  of  once  visiting  it.  From  every  town 
(»n  the  l)()rder  of  Tibet  a  road  (if  the  narrow  paths  which 
serve  as  highways  can  be  called  such)  leads  to  Lhasa. 
From  every  neighboring  country  a  traveled  route  takes 
one  to  the  sacred  city. 

The  Cinuid  Lama,  or  the  Dalai  Lama,  as  lie  is  called, 
is  usually  a  child  or  a  young  boy,  and  the  governmeut  is 


100  ASIA 

really  in  tlic  liaiuls  of  a  Ixxly  of  men  who  use  him  and  his 
influenct'  for  their  own  benetlt.  He  seldom  reaches  man- 
hood, but,  just  when  he  begins  to  have  a  mmd  and  a  will 
of  his  own,  usually  disappears,  and  a  new  god,  found  by- 
some  miraculous  invention  of  the  lamas  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Tibet,  takes  his  place. 

Lhasa,  the  capital,  is  the  center  of  interest  in  the  coun- 
try. It  lias  often  been  called  the  Mysterious  City,  and  for 
many  years  it  was  the  goal  of  ambitious  travelers,  who  in 
various  disguises  attempted  to  enter  it.  So  watchful  were 
the  people,  and  so  cruel  were  the  punishments  they  inflicted 
on  strangers,  that  up  to  tlie  time  of  tlie  English  expedition 
from  India  in  1908  less  than  half  a  dozen  white  people  had 
ever  been  witliin  its  walls.  Now,  however,  travelers  may 
visit  the  city,  the  sacred  temple,  and  even  the  palace  of  the 
(rrand  Lama.  The  mystery  and  the  charm  of  the  unknown 
have  disappeared,  leaving  in  their  place  a  knowledge  of  the 
filth  of  the  city  and  the  ignorance  of  the  people. 

We  approach  Lhasa  through  a  pleasant  country,  where 
willows  grow  in  green  meadows  beside  clear  flowing  streams, 
where  marshes,  alive  with  wild  ducks,  and  fields  of  oats  and 
barley  stretch  away  to  the  distant  hills.  When  still  a  long 
distance  from  the  city  we  can  see  glittering  in  the  sunshine 
the  great  palace  of  the  Grand  Lama,  which  for  more  than 
a  thousand  years  has  marked  the  most  sacred  spot  in 
eastern  Asia.  It  is  surrounded  by  fortifications,  temples,  and 
monasteries,  and  a  fine  avenue  lined  with  trees  leads  from 
it  through  the  city  gates  to  the  temple.  This  is  the  only 
decent  street  in  Lhasa.  All  the  others  are  narrow,  dirty 
lanes  in  which  pigs  and  dogs  wander,  searching  for  food 
in  the  piles  of  ill-smelling  refuse.    On  either  side  stretch 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN  101 

long  rows  of  low  houses  built  of  brick  or  stone  and 
covered  with  whitewash.  On  the  inside,  however,  every- 
thing white  has  long  since  disappeared  under  smoke  and 
dirt.  In  the  center  of  Lhasa,  surrounded  by  bazaars  and 
shops,  is  the  temple,  the  goal  of  thousands  of  Buddhist 
pilgrims.  From  all  the  buildings,  shops,  houses,  and  the 
temple  itself  waves  a  motley  collection  of  prayer  flags, 
giving  to  the  city  the  appearance  of  having  what  it  very 
much  needs  —  a  general  wash-day. 

]\Iany  of  the  houses  are  brightened  by  a  box  of  gay- 
colored  marigolds  and  a  song  bird  in  a  wicker  cage.  Here 
a  baker  is  kneading  his  huge  lumps  of  dough,  unmindful  of 
the  dust  which  a  heavily  laden  yak  raises  as  he  goes  slowly 
by.  Near  the  door  of  her  low  hut  a  woman  is  weaving  a 
briffht-colored  rug.  In  that  dark  little  house  an  incense 
maker  is  fashioning  for  the  temple  worship  some  incense 
sticks  which  give  a  delicious  odor  that  is  very  welcome 
after  the  noisome  smells  of  the  street.  Farther  down  the 
lane  a  brass  molder  bends  over  his  heated  metal,  and  near 
by  a  smith  toils  at  his  forge.  The  manufactures  of  the  city 
are  few  and  unimportant  and  are  confined  to  some  common 
articles  used  by  the  people  in  their  daily  work. 

A  country  so  bleak  and  barren,  so  difficult  of  approach, 
so  sparsely  populated,  so  lacking  in  agricultural  wealtli, 
would  seem  of  small  importance,  and  you  probably  tliink 
that  the  great  nations  of  the  world  are  but  little  interested 
in  Tibet  and  its  people.  In  this  you  are  mistaken,  as 
England  and  Russia,  two  of  the  most  powerful  nations  in 
Europe,  are  much  interested,  l)()tli  in  the  com  dry  itself  and 
in  peering  across  it  at  cacli  other.  England,  you  remember, 
controls  India  on  the  southern  border  of  Tibet,  and  to  the 


10-2  ASIA 

north  lies  tlie  Russian  territoiy.  Because  it  lies  between 
the  possessions  of  these  two  important  nations,  Tibet  is 
souK'tinies  called  a  buffer  state.  Each  of  these  ambitious 
cDUiitrics  hiis  for  years  kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  the  move- 
nu-nts  of  the  other  —  the  Enc^lish  to  see  if  the  Russians 
make  any  southern  step  through  Tibet  toward  their  In- 
dian possessions,  and  the  Russians  to  ascertain  whether 
any  northward  advance  of  the  English  threatens  theii 
inlhicnce  in  northern  Asia. 

It  was  partly  to  make  sure  tliat  the  Tibetans  made  no 
treaties  with  Russia  wliicli  would  give  that  nation  a  foot- 
hold farther  south,  and  partly  to  develop  trade  in  Tibet, 
that  England  sent  the  military  expedition  referred  to  from 
India  into  the  hitherto  forbidden  land.  With  much  diffi- 
culty the  soldiers  made  their  way  through  the  mountain 
passes  up  to  the  high  plateau  and  into  the  sacred  city  of 
Ivhasa.  Ulie  small  company  of  English  were  far  outnum- 
bered by  the  Tibetans  who  opposed  them  at  every  step, 
but  the  superior  discipline  and  weapons  of  the  invaders 
made  their  progress  an  easy  matter. 

In  Lhasa  the  government  was  forced  at  the  pohit  of  the 
sword  to  sign  a  treaty  of  peace,  if  one  can  call  it  such.  In 
this  treaty  the  Tibetans  were  obliged  to  agree  to  destroy 
all  their  forts  on  the  Indian  frontier,  to  establish  markets 
f(ir  trade  with  India,  and  to  pay  the  English  government 
more  than  two  milhon  dollars;  most  important  of  all,  they 
had  to  promise  not  to  lease  or  sell  or  mortgage  any  of  their 
territory  to  any  other  nation,  not  to  make  treaties,  not 
to  allow  anyone  to  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  gov- 
ernment or  to  develop  mines  or  l)nild  railroads  without 
the  knowledge  and  advice  of  England. 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN  103 

The  English  now  feel  safer  about  the  northern  border 
of  their  Indian  possessions.  Whether  or  not  the  Tibetans 
are  satisfied,  nobody  seems  to  ask.  Strong  nations  all  over 
the  world  have  always  made  treaties  of  peace  with  weaker 
ones  in  a  similar  fashion.  Doubtless  it  is  much  better  for  the 
people  of  Tibet  to  be  looked  after  by  a  progressive  nation 
like  England  than  to  live  as  they  have  don-e  heretofore,  shut 
off  by  their  mountain  doors  from  the  rest  of  the  world. 

North  of  Tibet  and  separated  from  it  by  the  lofty 
Kuenlun  Mountains  lies  the  Chinese  province  of  Turke- 
stan, often  called  Eastern  Turkestan  to  distinguish  it  from 
another  province  of  the  same  name  which  lies  to  the  west 
of  the  Tien  Shan  Mountains.  Chinese  Turkestan  is  larger 
than  Tibet.  If  a  map  of  it  were  laid  on  that  of  the  United 
States,  it  would  cover  the  states  of  Texas,  Louisiana,  Ari- 
zona, and  New  jNIexico.  It  is  very  thinly  peopled,  however, 
for  it  contains  fewer  inhabitants  than  the  state  of  Louisiana 
alone.  It  is  for  the  most  part  a  dreary,  barren  land  sur- 
rounded on  three  sides  by  mountains  and  merging  on  the 
east  into  the  great  Desert  of  Gobi.  It  is  of  little  impor- 
tance save  for  the  fact  that  it  lies  in  the  path  of  tlie  trade 
routes  between  eastern  and  western  Asia. 

Little  or  no  rain  falls  in  Turkestan,  and  the  only  farms 
lie  in  the  valleys  near  the  rivers,  where  water  may  be  ob- 
tained for  irrigation.  Probably  you  have  never  even  heard 
the  names  of  tlicse  rivers,  whicli,  because  tliey  make  pos- 
sible the  little  life  which  is  found  in  central  Asia,  are  of 
tlie  greatest  importance.  The  Tarim  liiver,  about  a  thou- 
sand miles  long,  is  tlie  chief  one  of  the  region,  and  all 
the  permanent  cities  and  towns  are  situated  on  it  or  its 
branches.    ]\lost  of  the  people   live  in  its  valley,  though 


104 


ASIA 


\vaii(lt'iiiii;-  IrilK's,  who  dwell  in  tents  and  keep  large  flocks 
anil  herds,  ritani  over  the  more  desolate  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. In  the  summer  some  of  tlie  men  drive  the  animals  to 
the  higher  lands  for  pasturage  while  others  remain  in  the 
oases  to  care  for  the  little  fields  of  grain  and  the  patches 
of  beans  and  melons.  Their  farming  is  (;arried  on  m  the 
simplest  fasliion,  and  their  crops  are  scanty.    At  one  end 

of  the  village  stands 


the  threshing  floor, 
beaten  hard  by  use. 
The  farmer  strews 
the  ground  thick 
with  his  sheaves  of 
wheat  or  barley  and 
then  drives  his  oxen 
Ml-  donkeys  or  per- 
haps a  camel  and  a 
donkey  round  and 
round  over  the  scat- 
tered    crrain     until 


©  Underwood  &  Uiidtrwuud 

Fig.  .37.  The  Farmkk  drives  his  Oxen  or 
Donkeys,  or  perhaps  a  Camel  and  a  Don- 
key, OVER  THE  Scattered  Grain 


they  have  broken  the  dry  straw  into  bits.  When  a  windy 
day  comes,  the  men  toss  the  grain  high  in  the  air  and  the 
chaff  is  blown  to  one  side  while  the  heavier  grain  falls  to 
the  ground  in  a  pile  by  itself.  This  is  used  as  a  food  for 
the  people  and  in  the  winter  for  the  horses  and  cattle, 
though  during  much  of  the  year  they  have  to  forage  for 
themselves.  The  sununers  are  hot  and  the  dust  blows  in 
clouds;  the  winters  are  cold  and  the  winds  fierce.  Living 
in  the  open  in  such  a  climate,  the  animals  become  hardy 
and  tough.  The  horses  are  especially  noted  for  their  en- 
durance and  their  ability  to  get  along  with  little  food. 


TIBET  AND  TURKESTAN 


106 


As  one  travels  over  the  desert  these  httle  settlements, 
shaded  by  poplar  and  mulberry  trees  and  surrounded  by 
green  fields,  are  very  conspicuous  against  the  brown,  barren 
waste  which  stretches  away  on  every  side.  There  are  not 
very  many  of  them, 
however,  and  the  dis- 
tances between  them 
are  so  great  that  the 
people  of  the  desert 
always  ride  on  don- 
keys or  ponies.  Yaks 
are  not  used  here,  as 
they  are  unable  to  en- 
dure the  summer  heat, 
which  at  this  lower 
level  is  much  greater 
than  in  Tibet.  Camels 
are  used,  especially  in 
the  winter,  to  make 
long  trips  across  the 
desert,  and  donkey 
carts  are  common. 

You  will  be  sur- 
prised to  liiid  large 
cities  in  such  a  land 

as  this.  Yarkand,  witli  nearly  a  hundred  thousand  people, 
Kashgar,  with  sixty  or  seventy  thousand,  and  Khotan,  with 
forty  tliousand,  are  ini[)ortaut  tradiug  centers  for  merchants 
from  C'liiua,  India,  I.okliara,  and  Russia.  In  eacli  of  these 
cities,  after  passing  through  tlie  gate  in  the  nmd  wall,  you 
will  see  dirty  streets,  low  mud  liouses,  and  crowded  bazaars. 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  88.    'J'lii;  Fau.mkr  selects  a  Windy 

Day  and  tosses  the  Broken  Straw  High 

IN  the  Air 


100 


ASIA 


The  sights  on  a  market  day  are  especially  interesting,  for 
then  the  people  for  miles  around  have  ridden  from  the 
lililc  farms  nestling  close  to  the  life-giving  stream  to  buy 
or  sell  or  to  enjoy  the  crowd.  We  see  ponies  everywhere, 
some  Willi  i)acks  on  tlu'ir  backs  and  led  by  their  owners, 


©Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fk;.  39.    On  Market  Day  tiik  People  from  the  Little  Farms  for 
Miles  a  hound  ride  into  the  Bazaars 

who  are  clad  in  dirty  sheepskin,  and  others  ridden  by 
wild-looking  men  with  long,  tangled  hair  and  beards  or 
l)y  wonu-n  wearing  heavy  fur  hats  or  big  white  head- 
dresses. There  are  ponies  harnessed  to  queer-looking 
wagons,  while  others  with  no  burden  to  bear  or  load  to 
draw  are  waitinor  for  new  owners. 


TIBET  AXD  TUEKESTAN  107 

Among  the  crowd  you  will  see  dark-skinned  people  from 
the  southern  borders  of  Turkestan  carrying  bags  of  musk, 
and  sunburned  men  from  distant  oases  sitting  comfortably 
on  mounds  of  sheepskins  and  goatskins  piled  high  on  the 
backs  of  patient  donkeys.  They  will  exchange  these  for 
cheap  tea,  bright-colored  silks,  and  gayly  figured  cotton 
cloth  brought  by  patient  camels  over  the  desert  from  the 
Far  East.  INIingling  with  the  crowd  and  adding  to  the  noise 
and  confusion  are  water  carriers,  beggars,  story-tellers,  and 
jugglers.  You  can  see  the  coppersmith  hammering  sheets 
of  metal,  saddlers  working  on  great  sides  of  leather,  weavers 
making  coarse  carpets,  and  cooks  stirring  mutton  puddings 
flavored  with  the  dust  of  the  street,  while  "  the  butcher, 
the  baker,  and  the  candlestick  maker"  ply  their  trades  in 
the  low  open  shops. 


TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  The  divisions  of  the  Chinese  rejmblic. 

2.  Situation  and  size  of  Tibet. 

3.  Reasons  for  the  isolation  of  tlie  jieople. 

4.  Trade  routes  into  Til)et. 

5.  Life  in  western  Tibet. 

6.  Trade  between  China  and  Tiliet. 

7.  Life  in  eastern  Tibet. 

8.  The  religion  of  Tibet. 

9.  The  city  of  Lhasa. 

10.  Interest  of  other  nations  in  Tibet. 

11.  Situation  of  Chinese  Turkestan. 

12.  Iiii])ortanfi'  of  the  rivers  of  Turkestan. 

13.  Life  in  Turkestan. 

14.  Important  cities  of  Turkestan. 


108 


ASIA 


II 

1.  On  a  iiia]i  of  Asia,  sliow  the  five  chief  divisioiis  of  the  Chinese 
republic. 

2.  Sketch  a  map  of  Tibet  and  Turkestan.  Show  the  mountains 
dividing  and  surrounding  them.  Add  the  rivers,  the  chief  trade 
routes  from  neighboring  countries,  and  the  cities  spoken  of  in 
the  chajitcr. 

3.  Wluit  is  meant  by  a  buffer  state? 

4.  Find  in  tlio  encyclopedia  what  musk  is  and  how  it  is  obtained. 


Ill 

Be  able  to  sjiell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.  Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  about  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous 
chapter. 


China 

Mongolia 

Manchuria 

Russian  Tui'kestan 

Cliinese  Turkestan 

Tibet 

Kashmir 

Bokhara 

Russia 

England 

India 

Lhasa 

Yarkand 


Khotan 

Kashgar 

Leh 

Mekka 

Jerusalem 

St.  Louis 

Philadelphia 

Yangtze  River 

Tarim  River 

Yarkand  River 

Kueidun  ^lountains 

Tien  Shau  Mountains 


CHAPTER  VI 
AMONG  THE  MONGOLS 

For  our  next  visit  let  us  go  to  Mongolia,  which  lies  to 
tlie  north  of  China.  ^Mongolia  is  nearly  as  large  as  Cliina 
itself,  but  it  is  as  different  as  it  can  possibly  be.  China  is 
fertile,  covered  with  farms,  and  crowded  with  people ;  Mon- 
golia is  barren  and  has  scattered  farms  and  a  sparse  popula- 
tion. We  shall  find  the  INIongols  very  interesting,  however, 
and  a  visit  to  their  country  will  more  than  repay  us  for  the 
difficulty  of  getting  there. 

Our  best  way  of  entering  ]\Iongolia  is  from  Pekmg  over 
the  great  trade  route  which  leads  from  China  to  Siberia. 
What  will  you  choose  for  your  conveyance  ?  You  can 
go,  if  you  like,  in  a  chair  or  a  sort  of  curtained  box  with 
long  shafts  at  either  end,  somewhat  like  the  one  shown  in 
Fig.  40,  carried  by  coolies  or  mules.  The  road  is  only 
a  rough  path  full  of  deep  ruts  and  holes,  and  you  will 
find  that  at  times  one  of  your  mules  is  deep  in  a  mudliole 
while  the  other  is  scrambling  over  large  bowlders,  and  the 
litter,  with  you  inside,  is  tipping  at  a  dangerous  angle.  No 
railroad  penetrates  this  desolate  northern  region,  and  no 
carriage  could  be  drawn  there,  but  if  you  prefer,  you  can 
ride  on  the  back  of  a  donkey  or  you  can  join  a  camel  cara- 
van. You  ^ill  hav(;  no  difficulty  in  finding  one,  for  outside 
the  walls  of  Peking  tlu!re  are  hundreds  of  camels  waiting 
to  start  on  their  long  trip. 

]0() 


110 


ASIA 


The  roek-stivwu,  uiievt.'U  putli  wliicli  we  must  follow  is 
one  of  the  most  important  highways  of  all  Asia,  and  for 
centuries  lias  been  tiavelcd  by  mnlcs  and  donkeys,  camels 


)T'nderwood  &  T'ndem-ood 

Fig.  40.    Yoc   can   ridk   in   a  Chair  or   Sort  of  Curtained  Box 

CARRIED    HY    COOLIES    OR    MuLES 


and  coolies.  ^Millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  tea,  sugar,  tobacco, 
cotton,  and  silks  are  carried  northward  over  it  annually, 
and  loads  of  furs  and  skins,  soda,  salt,  and  lumber  are 


AMONG  THE  MONGOLS 


111 


brought  by  this  route  to  Peking.  We  shall  not  find  the  trip 
a  lonely  one,  for  ahead  of  us  and  behind  us  there  are  long 
lines  of  camels  swinging  silently  along.  We  halt  for  a  time 
at  Kalgan,  a  busy,  crowded  place  where  hundreds  of  camels 
are  resting  before  continuing  their  long  journey,  and  where 
nearly  all  of  the  people  are  connected  in  some  way  with 
the  caravan  trade  wliich  passes  through  it. 

On  the  narrow,  uneven  streets  we  meet,  coming  from  the 
north,  long  trains  of  camel  carts  filled  with  soda.    We  see 


Fig.  41.    We  meet  Long  Trains  of  Camel  Carts  filled  with  Soda 

also  heavy  oxcarts  piled  high  with  skins  or  carrying  heavy 
loads  of  lumber.  They  are  driven  by  ISIongols  in  dirty 
sheepskins,  who  will  exchange  their  loads  for  food,  cloth, 
cooking  utensils,  or  perhaps  for  a  new  saddle.  iSlany  peo- 
ple from  the  surrounding  country  have  come  in  on  horse- 
back, and  after  fastening  their  purchases  upon  the  backs 
of  their  shaggy  ponies  they  mount  also  and  ride  away. 

Kalgan  is  just  iiisidr  the  Great  Wall  which  the  Chinese 
people  l)uilt  ccntvu-i(!S  ago  to  keep  out  th(^  fien^e  tribes  of 
the  nortli,   among   them  these  very  Mongols  into  whose 


112 


ASIA 


country  we  are  goiiirr.  There  are  walled  cities  in  many 
j)arts  of  the  world,  but  who  ever  heard  of  a  ruler  who, 
in  order  to  keep  his  enemies  out,  built  a  wall  around  his 
empire  ?  Vet  the  Great  Wall  extends  along  the  whole 
northern  border  of  Chma  for  more  than  fifteen  hundred 
miles.  It  climbs  the  tops  of  the  highest  mountains  and 
dips  down  into  the  deepest  valleys.    It  averages  more  than 


Fig.  42.    The  Great  Wall  extends  along  the  Whole  Northern 
Border  of  China 

twenty  feet  high  and  twenty  feet  thick,  and  at  mtervals  of 
a  few  hundred  feet  it  is  surmounted  by  towers  fifty  feet 
high,  where  watchmen  were  stationed. 

Can  you  imagine  the  thousands  of  poor  Chinese  coolies 
who  toiled  and  suffered  and  died  while  the  great  structure 
was  building  ?  Can  you  picture  the  tall  towers  filled  with 
archers,  and  the  arrows  from  the  twanging  bows  flying  at 
the  hordes  of  northern  tribes  as  they  struggled  for  entrance 


AMONG  THE  MONGOLS  113 

into  the  southern  kmgclom  ?  The  Great  Wall  and  the 
Grand  Canal  of  China  are  two  of  the  wonders  of  the  world. 
They  tell,  perhaps  more  plainly  than  any  other  relics,  of 
the  strength  and  development  of  the  Chinese  Empire  when 
European  nations  were  barbarians  and  when  America  was 
yet  undiscovered. 

Passing  northward  through  a  gate  in  the  Great  Wall,  we 
find  ourselves  in  Mongolian  territory.  For  some  distance 
the  country  appears  much  like  northern  China,  fertile,  well 
wooded,  and  hilly.  As  we  go  farther  north  the  farms  grow 
more  and  more  scattered  and  the  people  fewer,  until,  when 
three  days'  journey  by  camel  caravan  from  Peking,  we  find 
ourselves  on  the  edge  of  the  Desert  of  Gobi,  which  occupies 
a  large  part  of  Mongolia. 

Perhaps  no  greater  contrast  can  be  imagined  than  the 
busy,  noisy,  crowded. capital  of  China  which  we  have  left 
behind  and  the  dreary,  empty,  silent  land  before  us.  The 
Desert  of  Gobi  is  one  of  the  most  desolate  areas  in  the 
whole  world.  It  is  a  part  of  an  immense  barren  area  which 
extends  through  the  Eastern  Hemisphere  from  the  Atlantic 
border  of  the  Sahara  desert  in  Africa  over  the  sands  of 
Arabia,  Persia,  Turkestan,  and  Mongolia  nearly  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  The  winter  winds  from  the  northwest  de- 
posit their  moisture  on  the  northern  and  western  slopes  of 
the  high  mountain  ranges  which  border  these  sandy  wastes 
on  the  north ;  the  sunnner  monsoon  winds  from  the  south 
and  east  leave  their  life-giving  drops  on  the  seaward  slopes 
of  the  highlands  south  of  the  desert.  As  a  result  of  this 
lack  of  rainfall  there  is  no  settled  fife  in  Gobi.  Wandering 
tribes  with  their  flocks  and  herds  dwell  in  the  oases,  but 
in  the  greater  part  of  its  vast  area  there  is  no  water,  plant, 


114  ASIA 

or  man.  Tlio  fierce  glare  of  tlir  sunshine  on  the  hot  sand 
is  iilniost  intolerable  ;  the  dust-laden  wind  sweeping  down 
between  the  mountain  ranges  cuts  the  face  like  a  knife  ; 
the  bare  hills,  the  empty  watercourses,  and  the  skulking 
wolves  make  the  region  a  forbidding  one;  and,  with  the 
exception  of  tlie  caravans  which  cross  it,  its  solitudes  are 
broken  oidy  by  the  few  miserable  tribes  who  live  there. 

Swaying  on  our  camels,  with  our  faces  protected  from 
the  fierce  wind,  we  make  our  way  northward  for  six  hun- 
dred miles,  until  at  last  we  arrive  at  Urga,  a  center  of  the 
caravan  trade  between  China  and  Siberia.  Motor  cars  now 
run  in  the  sunmier  montlis  between  Kalgan  and  Urga,  the 
trip  taking  four  days.  As  we  a[)proach  Urga  we  see  the 
h»w  houses,  the  crowded  streets,  and  the  loaded  wheelbar- 
ro\vs  of  the  Chinese ;  on  the  left  is  the  Mongolian  section, 
with  temples,  prayer  flags,  and  curious  prayer  wheels  at 
every  corner.  Between  them,  most  conspicuous  of  all  the 
buildings  in  the  city,  stands  the  Eussian  consulate.  The 
Russians  control  the  caravan  trade  to  Siberia,  and  many 
Russian  merchants  live  in  Urga.  Plere  the  tired  camels, 
dropping  their  loads  of  tea,  cotton,  sugar,  tobacco,  leather 
goods,  and  iron  and  copper  utensils,  ]-est  for  a  time  and 
then  reload  with  hides  and  skins,  lumber,  soda,  and  salt, 
and  start  back  over  the  bleak  j)lain  on  their  weary  home- 
ward journey.  Others,  laden  with  the  products  which  have 
been  brought  from  the  south,  go  northward  through  the 
w^ooded  hills  and  mountains  which  lie  between  Urga  and 
the  Siberian  city  of  Kiakhta,  two  hundred  miles  away. 

If  ^^•e  wish  to  see  the  real  Mongol  and  become  acquainted 
with  his  life  and  habits,  we  must  leave  the  trading  centers 
and  go  out  into  the  country.    People  traveling  on  long 


AMOXG  THE  MONGOLS 


115 


journeys  in  Mongolia  often  go  on  camels  or  in  slow,  lum- 
bering oxcarts,  but  as  we  are  to  make  only  a  short  trip, 
we  will  find  it  more  convenient  to  go  on  horseback.  Every- 
body rides  in  Mongolia  —  rich  and  poor,  men,  women, 
and  children.  As  the  little  settlements  are  separated  by 
miles    of  desert  waste,  no   one   ever  thinks    of   walking. 


Fig.  43.    In  Urga  wk  ske  the  jieaviev  Laden  WiiEKi.iiAUKows 
OK  THE  Chinese 

Only  those  people  who  live  in  the  few  cities  have  settled 
homes.  Most  of  the  Mongols  camp  for  the  winter  in  some 
spot  where  water  can  be  obtained,  and  during  the  sunnner 
move  from  place  to  place  to  find  pasturage  for  their  flocks 
and  herds.  The  women  and  some  of  the  men  remain  at 
the  camp  to  care  for  the  few  crops  —  the  grain,  l)eans,  and 
melons  —  which  are  raised  there  during  the  warm  months. 


116  ASIA 

As  lohbpi-s  are  not  uncommon,  we  must  have  a  guard  for 
our  trip  through  MongoHa;  we  shall  need  a  guide  also,  as 
we  shall  be  unable  to  lind  our  way  through  the  trackless 
open  country.  We  may  journey  for  hours  without  seeing 
any  sign  of  life.  In  the  distance  we  may  perhaps  catch  a 
glimpse  of  a  flock  of  sheep  on  the  hillside  or  a  herd  of  deer 
brt)\vsing  in  a  green  valley.  AVe  may  chance  upon  a  drove 
of  wild  liorses  which,  startled  at  our  approach,  gallop  off 
across  the  plains  with  flying  manes  and  tails.  We  may 
meet  a  lama  twirling  his  prayer  wheel  or  telling  his  beads, 
for  lamas,  prayer  wheels,  and  temples  are  as  common  m 
Mongolia  as  in  Tibet.  We  shall  be  sure  to  see  a  drove  of 
black  pigs  making  a  cloud  of  dust  as  they  are  hurried  along 
to  some  trading  center,  and  farther  away,  showing  black 
against  the  clear  sky,  a  long,  silent  caravan  of  tea-laden 
camels. 

Here  is  a  Mongol  camp  ahead  of  us.  Horses,  sheep,  and 
ofoats  are  feeding  around  the  inclosure  inside  of  which  are 
tlie  round  black  tents  of  the  people.  A  number  of  dogs, 
barking  furiously,  rush  out  to  meet  us.  They  are  as  good 
as  a  doorbell,  for  here  come  the  people  aroused  by  the 
noise.  How  queer  they  look!  The  women  and  men  dress 
very  much  alike,  and  it  is  hard  to  distinguish  one  from  the 
other.  Both  wear  loose  trousers,  high  boots,  and  long  coats 
which  come  nearly  to  the  ground.  The  only  difference  in 
tlie  costumes  that  we  can  see  is  that  the  robes  of  the  men 
are  belted  in  at  the  waist,  while  those  of  the  women  hang 
loose.  Whenever  they  stoop  down  to  milk,  to  tend  the  fire, 
or  to  do  any  other  work,  their  cloaks  drag  in  the  dirt,  and 
consequently  they  appear  rather  dirtier  than  the  men,  if 
such  a  thing  is  possible.    In  the  winter  all  clothing  is  made 


AMONG  THE  MONGOLS  117 

of  sheepskin,  as  neither  wadded  cotton  nor  wool  is  suffi- 
ciently warm  when  the  temperature  runs  from  twenty  to 
forty  degrees  below  zero. 

Because  of  their  own  necessities,  Mongols  have  learned 
to  be  very  hospitable,  and  at  their  invitation  we  dismount 
from  our  horses.  There  are  no  inns  in  the  country,  and  the 
homes  are  the  only  places  of  shelter  for  travelers,  who  are 
always  warmly  welcomed  and  given  the  best  that  the  house 


Fig.  44.   The  Tents  are  Circular  in  Shape 

affords,  though  to  our  Western  eyes  the  best  is  exceedingly 
poor.  We  are  curious  to  see  the  inside  of  a  Mongol's  tent, 
but  we  must  pay  for  our  curiosity  by  enduring  the  bad 
air  which  greets  us  as  we  enter;  iniwashed  people,  badly 
dressed  skins,  mangy  dogs,  newborn  lambs  and  kids,  and 
the  contents  of  the  kettle  boiling  over  the  fire  make  a  com- 
bination of  odors  wliich  it  would  be  hard  to  e(pial. 

The  tent  is  circular  in  shape  and  is  made  of  a  framework 
covered  with  a  coarse,  dark  felt.  It  has  a  wooden  floor  ex- 
cept in  the  center,  where  a  fire  is  burning  directly  under 
the  smoke  hole  in  the  top  of  tlic  tent.  Some  of  the  people 
are  beginning  to  build  houses  heated  by  great  brick  stoves 


118 


ASIA 


such  as  are  used  in  Kiissia,  but  most  ot"  the  inhabitants  still 
live  in  these  cold,  uncomfortable  tents.  We  are  invited  to 
join  the  family  circle,  and  we  take  our  seats  with  the  others 
on  the  edge  of  the  floor,  with  our  feet  on  the  ground  near 
the  fire.  The  position  is  not  uncomfortable,  as  we  can  lean 
back  against  the  trunks  and  boxes  in  which  the  goods  of 
the  family  are  kept.  The  ]Mf)ngol  has  few  clothes  except 
w  liat  he  has  on,  and  few  cooking  utensils  except  those  over 


Fig.  4.J.    Tin-:  Mon<.ol  moves  ofxkn 


the  tire.  He  moves  often,  and  all  the  goods  which  he  cannot 
conveniently  carry  he  buries  in  the  ground,  where  they 
remain  until  he  comes  again  to  that  place. 

The  men  of  Mongolia,  though  good-natured  and  hospi- 
table, are  not  inclined  to  work  very  haid.  Some  of  them 
are  caravan  drivers,  some  tend  the  flocks  and  herds,  a  few 
are  away  working  in  the  salt  mines  and  soda  mines,  and 
some  spend  their  time  in  liunting  and  trapping  in  the  parts 
of  Mongolia  which  are  far  enough  north  to  be  included  in 
the  region  where  valuable  fur-bearinsr  animals  live. 


AMONG  THE  MONGOLS  119 

The  Mongolian  wonuui  has  a  much  harder  hfe.  Her  bed 
is  the  farthest  from  the  fire,  where  the  cold  creeps  in  under 
the  edge  of  the  tent ;  her  cover  of  felt  is  the  thinnest  and 
poorest ;  her  food  is  what  remains  in  the  kettle  after  the 
men's  appetites  are  satisfied  ;  lier  work  begins  in  the  morn- 
ing before  the  men  are  awake  and  ends  late  at  night  after 
the  others  are  asleep.  She  prepares  the  food,  milks  the 
animals,  dresses  the  skins,  gathers  the  fuel,  feeds  the  dogs, 
makes  the  clothing,  brings  the  water,  works  in  the  fields, 
and  rears  her  children.  In  the  East  women  are  not  treated 
with  the  same  respect  as  is  shown  to  them  in  the  Western 
Avorld.  All  this  nuist  be  changed  before  these  nations  can 
progress  very  far  on  the  i-oad  to  civilization. 


TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 
T 

1.  Transportation  in  Mongolia. 

2.  Trade  route  from  Cliina  to  Siberia. 

3.  Description  of  Kalgau. 

4.  The  Great  Wall  of  China. 

5.  The  Desert  of  Gobi. 

6.  Descrii)tion  of  Urga. 

7.  Life  in  ]\Iougolia. 

11 

1.  Skt'tcli  a  map  of  Mongolia  and  tlie  surrounding  countries. 
Show  on  it  the  Desert  of  fiohi,  the  (ireat  Wall  of  Cliina,  the  trade 
TonUi  from  Peking  to  Kiakhta,  and  tlie  imi)ortant  trading  centers. 

2.  Name  as  many  differences  as  you  can  ))ct\veen  Cliina  and 
Mongolia. 

3.  What  arc  monsoon  winds?  How  do  th.y  Mow?  W'liat  are 
their  effects  on   the  countries  over   wliidi    liny   tilow? 


120  ASIA 

4.  ( )ii  ii  iiiiiji  of  the  Eastern  Hemisphere  show  the  desert  strip  ex- 
teudiug  tliruugli  Africa  and  Asia  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Write  the 
.names  of  the  countries  included  in  it. 

5.  I'se  tlie  se-dhi  of  \a>"i'  map  and  measure  tlie  distance  from 
Peking  to  Kiakhta.  Compare  it  witli  some  distance  in  the  United 
States. 

Ill 

Be  abh'  to  s])ell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.  Locate  each 
place  and  tell  wliat  is  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  jn-evious  chapter. 

Cliiiia  Sahara  desert 

United  vStates  Atlantic  Ocean 

Siberia  Pacific  Ocean 

Arabia  Kalgan 

Persia  Urga 

Turkestan  Kiakhta 

Desert  of  (iobi  Peking 


CHAPTER  VII 
MANCHURIA,  GIANT  RUSSIA,  AND  LITTLE  JAPAN 

In  the  northeastern  part  of  the  Chinese  repubUc  is  the 
province  of  Manchuria.  We  shall  find  a  visit  to  this  land, 
tlie  origmal  home  of  the  Manchus,  an  interesting  one,  as 
the  country  is  very  different  from  the  dreary  Mongolian 
plain  which  we  have  just  left.  In  past  years  no  part  of 
Asia  has  been  more  talked  of,  more  overrun  with  soldiers 
of  different  nations,  or  more  changed  in  many  ways  than 
Manchuria.  Perhaps  it  is  because  of  its  position  at  the 
meeting  place  of  Russia,  China,  and  Japan  that  it  has 
been  so  much  involved  in  the  quarrels  of  these  countries. 
Russia  is  so  closely  connected  with  these  troubles  that  in 
order  to  understand  them  we  must  know  something  of  her 
history  and  ambitions. 

Centuries  ago  Russia  was  not  the  great  nation  that  she 
is  to-day,  with  a  vast  territory  stretching  from  the  Baltic 
Sea  in  Europe  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  eastern  border 
of  Asia.  At  that  time  the  frozen  Arctic  was  her  only 
water  front;  the  Swedes  held  tlic  laud  between  her  and 
the  Baltic  Sea,  and  the  Turkish  possessions,  much  larger 
than  they  are  at  the  present  time,  included  the  northern 
shores  of  the  Black  Sea. 

Knowing  that  a  people  can  never  become  a  great  com- 
mercial nation  without  easy  access  to  the  ocean,  Peter  tlie 
Great  and  other  rulers  gradually  enlarged  their  territory 

121 


122  ASIA 

until  the  Black  and  Baltic  seas  washed  Russian  soil  and 
the  cities  on  these  waters  became  Russian  seaports.  As  the 
great  empire  slowly  developed,  each  ruler  realized  more 
clearly  than  the  one  before  him  the  advantage  of  having 
seaports  on  the  open  ocean  instead  of  on  inland  seas  whose 
narrow  entrances  were  controlled  by  other  nations. 

The  Danish  city  of  Copenhagen  lies  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Baltic  Sea,  and  Constantinople,  long  under  Turkish  control, 
guards  the  entrance  of  the  Black  Sea.  Russia  might  easily 
have  conquered  these  weaker  countries  and  obtained  pos- 
session of  these  important  strongholds  if  other  European 
nations  had  been  willing ;  l^nt  the  Great  Powers  preferred 
that  a  great  nation  like  Russia  should  not  have  the  entire 
control  of  these  two  great  inland  seas  and  thus  be  able  to 
develop  her  own  commerce  and  her  own  interests  at  the 
expense  of  other  peoples. 

When  it  became  known  that  large  parts  of  Siberia  were 
fertile,  that  the  mountains  abounded  in  minerals,  and  that 
the  forests  and  furs  might  become  sources  of  immense 
wealth,  Russia  turned  her  attention  to  eastern  waters  and 
connected  them  with  her  western  cities  by  the  Trans- 
Siberian  Railroad.  Vladivostok,  the  most  southern  city 
in  Siberia  possessed  of  a  good  harbor,  was  made  the  ter- 
minus of  the  railroad.  Unfortunately  its  harbor  is  ice- 
bound during  the  winter,  and  commerce  is  thus  hampered 
as  in  Riga  and  Petrograd. 

Still  intent  on  her  purpose  of  obtaining  an  ice-free  port 
on  water  which  she  might  control,  Russia  asked,  or  rather 
forced,  permission  from  China  to  build  a  railroad  branching 
southward  at  Harbin  from  her  main  Siberian  line  (see  map 
opposite  page  142_).    It  passes  through  Manchuria  and  ends 


MANCHURIA  123 

at  Dairen  on  the  southern  end  of  the  Liaotung  peninsula. 
You  will  find  these  places  given  on  the  map  opposite 
page  9,  and  you  can  understand  that  this  southerly  ice- 
free  outlet  was  an  immense  advantage  to  Russia  in  her 
trade  and  commerce. 

"With  the  railroad  to  help  her,  and  with  other  privileges 
hi  industries  and  commerce  which  Chma  was  forced  to 
yield  her,  there  was  little  doubt  that,  had  not  another 
nation  become  mterested  in  the  matter,  Manchuria,  like  so 
many  parts  of  Central  Asia  of  which  3'ou  will  read  later, 
might  sooner  or  later  have  become  a  part  of  the  great 
Russian  Empire. 

Bordermg  ^Manchuria  on  the  south  lies  Korea,  a  country 
larger  than  the  state  of  Minnesota,  with  valuable  forests, 
stores  of  minerals,  and  much  fertile  land,  and  with  ports 
even  farther  south  than  those  of  ^Manchuria.  Very  quietly, 
and  with  few  people  realizing  what  was  going  on,  Russia 
obtamed  from  the  Korean  government  certain  important 
luml^er  privileges.  She  sent  hundreds  of  Russian  peasants 
into  the  deep  Korean  forests,  and  built  on  the  Yalu  River, 
the  boundary  between  Manchuria  and  Korea,  one  of  the 
largest  saw-mills  in  the  world.  Then  what  was  more  natu- 
ral than  for  Russia  to  order  her  soldiers  into  Korea,  to 
protect  her  lumbermen  who  were  living  there  ?  Although 
by  til  is  time  the  nations  of  tlie  woild  rcalizccl  tiiat  this  was 
only  another  southward  step  of  the  great  Russian  bear 
toward  better  harbors  and  warmer  Avaters,  none  of  them 
interfered  and  things  went  (^[uietly  on.  Little  Japan  ob- 
jected very  earnestly  to  this  IJiissian  cntraiict'  inlo  Ivorea, 
but  no  one  [)aid  nuich  attention  to  licr — least  of  all,  liussia, 
for  what  could  a  little  nation   like   Japan,   occupying  an 


124  ASIA 

area  about  that  of  California,  do  against  an  empire  nearly 
three  times  iis  large  as  the  United  States? 

But,  you  ask,  why  should  Japan  object?  To  answer 
that  question  let  us  drop  tlie  story  of  Russia  for  a  time 
and  see  what  Japan  has  been  doing  all  the  time  while  the 
Russian  bear  has  been  creeping  closer  and  closer  to  her 
Island  Empire. 

Japan  was  about  the  size  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Indiana, 
and  Illinois,  yet  her  population  was  more  than  half  that  of 
the  entire  United  States.  INIore  territory  and  greater  op[)or- 
tunities  in  neighboring  countries  to  increase  her  trade  were 
absolutely  necessary  to  her  in  her  future  development. 

Korea  was  long  a  buffer  state  between  China  and  Japan, 
ruled  sometimes  by  one  country  and  sometimes  by  the  other. 
The  two  nations  had  made  a  treaty  concerning  Korea,  in 
which  it  was  agreed  that  it  sliould  remain  independent, 
that  both  China  and  Japan  should  have  certain  commercial 
privileges  there,  but  that  neither  should  send  armed  troops 
into  the  country  without  notifying  the  other.  In  1894 
China  violated  this  treaty,  and  Japan  immediately  made 
war  upon  the  country  nearly  thirty  times  as  large  as  her- 
self. The  world  held  its  breath  at  the  sight,  most  people 
expecting  to  see  the  little  Island  Empire  crushed  by  the 
Chinese,  but  to  their  astonishment  Japan  won  every  victory, 
and,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  which  lasted  between  one  and 
two  years,  was  able  to  make  terms  favorable  to  herself  in 
the  treaty  of  peace. 

According  to  this  treaty  Korea  was  to  remain  independ- 
ent ;  China  was  to  pay  Japan  a  large  sum  of  money,  was  to 
cede  to  her  the  island  of  Formosa,  was  to  keep  her  hands 
off  Korea,  and,  more  important  than  all,  was  to  give  to  her 


MANCHURIA  125 

the  Liaotung  peninsula  in  southern  Manchuria,  with  full 
control  of  its  seaports.  By  this  treaty  Japan  gained  what 
she  had  so  earnestly  desired  —  room  for  her  crowded  em- 
pire to  expand  and  ports  through  which  she  might  foster 
her  trade  with  the  interior  of  the  contment. 

You  can  imagine  Russia's  dismay  when  slie  learned  that 
the  Manchurian  ports,  which  she  had  had  in  mind  all  the 
time  that  she  was  building  her  railroad,  were  now  to  belong 
to  Japan.  Russia  realized  that  if  Japan  held  Manchuria, 
her  own  southward  progress  toward  ice-free  ports  was 
checked.  She  would  not  willingly  give  up  this  great  pro- 
ject of  hers  and  all  that  she  might  gain  by  her  railroad  to 
Dairen.  What  to  do  was  the  question.  England  was  a 
friend  of  Japan,  and  though  Russia  was  willmg  enough  to 
fight  Japan  alone,  she  dared  not  take  any  steps  which 
would  bring  on  trouble  in  Europe  between  herself  and  the 
British.  So  she  went  to  work  in  another  way.  What  she 
whispered  in  the  ears  of  France  and  Germany  was  some- 
thing like  the  bargain  of  the  small  boy  who  says,  "  Give  me 
a  bite  of  your  apple  and  I  will  give  you  some  of  my  candy." 
Together  the  three  great  powers  sent  a  courteous  note  to 
Japan,  which  said  in  effect  that  it  would  not  be  best  for 
the  peace  of  the  continent  that  an  island  nation  like  Ja[)an 
should  control  a  part  of  the  mainland ;  that  Korea  miglit 
be  independent,  as  had  been  planned  in  the  treaty ;  that 
Japan  might  have  the  money  which  China  was  to  pay  her, 
and  that  she  might  keep  the  island  of  Formosa;  but  that 
she  could  not  have  any  part  of  Manchuria  and  must  with- 
draw from  that  country  directly.  Japan,  thus  robbed  of  the 
best  fruits  of  her  victory  in  the  war,  had  to  say,  "  All  right." 
What  else  could  she  d(j  ?    England  did  not  come  to  her 


J  2()  ASIA 

assistance,  and  of  course  it  was  useless  for  her,  weakened 
as  sIr'  was  by  the  wdr  with  China,  to  think  at  that  time  of 
fighting  those  three  strong  nations,  or  indeed  any  one  of 
them ;  so  she  with(h-ew  her  sokhers  from  Manchuria.  Quietly 
she  strengtliciu'tl  licr  army  and  navy,  and  she  watched  —  oh, 
so  carefully  —  i'\ery  move  of  the  Russians.  She  saw  them 
crt'oping  southward  on  the  raihoad  from  Harbin;  she  saw 
tlicin  l)iiilding  tlie  city  of  Dairen  ;  she  saAV  their  hiiiil)ermen 
cross  the  Yahi  Kiver  into  Korea,  and  she  saw  the  soldiers 
follow.  She  had  held  her  peace  while  ]\Ianchuria  became 
more  and  more  controlled  by  the  Russians,  but  Korea  — 
the  country  about  Avhich  she  had  fought  with  China,  the 
pt'uinsula  which  almost  touched  lier  own  shores,  the  land 
wliich,  if  properly  developed,  might  serve  as  a  successful 
buffer  state  between  lu'r  and  the  continental  nations  — 
Korea  should  never  belong  to  Russia ;  Japan  would  make 
it  a  part  of  her  owii  empire  first.  And  so  when,  in  1904, 
the  Russian  soldiers  crossed  the  Yalu  River  into  Korea, 
the  little  island  country  sent  a  message  to  the  Russian 
government,  "  Take  your  soldiers  out  of  Korea  or  light." 
A  tremendous  challenge,  was  it  not,  from  a  dwarf  to  a 
giant  ?  Again  the  eyes  of  the  world  Avere  turned  to  the 
East  in  amazement  at  what  seemed  to  be  such  an  unequal 
struggle,  for  in  this  case  Japan  was  fighting  against  an 
empire  fifty  times  as  large  as  her  own.  Russia,  however, 
fiiught  under  a  great  handicap  because  of  her  distance  from 
home,  and  after  months  of  warfare  the  Japanese  gamed  the 
advantage,  though  neither  side  was  willing  to  give  up  the 
struggle.  President  Roosevelt  used  his  influence  for  peace, 
with  the  result  that  the  war  came  to  an  end  and  tlie  treaty 
of  peace  was  signed  at  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire. 


MANCHURIA  127 

By  this  treaty  Japan  was  allowed  to  control  the  Liaotung 
peninsula,  and  all  the  rest  of  Manchuria  was  restored  to 
China.  Russia  agreed  to  withdraw  from  Korea  and  not  to 
interfere  with  anything  that  Japan  might  do  there,  and  the 
enterprising  Japanese  soon  set  about  improving  and  de- 
veloping the  land  which  was  now  a  part  of  their  empire. 

Many  people  think  tliat  liussia  lias  not  yet  given  up 
her  quest  for  ice-free  seaports,  even  though  it  seems  at  the 
present  time  that  they  will  not  lie  on  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
The  Caspian  Sea,  which  is  entirely  controlled  by  Russia, 
is  only  five  or  six  hundred  miles  from  the  Persian  Gulf,  and 
in  the  chapter  on  Persia  we  shall  see  what  Russia  has  done 
in  that  part  of  the  world. 

Now  let  us  take  a  short  journey  into  jSIanchuria  and  see 
what  kind  of  region  this  disputed  province,  once  and  a  half 
the  size  of  Texas,  really  is.  It  contains  splendid  forests 
which  for  many  years  will  supply  immense  quantities  of 
building  material;  in  these  forests  live  many  fur-bearing 
animals  —  the  sable,  squhrel,  otter,  wolf,  fox,  and  bear;  the 
rivers  and  coast  waters  teem  with  fish,  and  on  the  grassy 
hillsides  many  thousand  cattle,  horses,  sheep,  and  goats  can 
find  pasturage ;  in  the  fertile  valleys  is  some  of  the  finest 
agricultural  land  in  the  world,  waiting  only  for  the  farmer's 
hand  to  make  it  produce  wonderful  crops. 

On  the  northern  border  of  Manchuria  flows  the  Amur 
Iviver,  a  waterway  about  as  long  as  our  own  great  Missis- 
sippi, and  naviga])le  from  May  to  October.  Through  the 
country  flow  the  Sungari  and  the  Liao  rivers,  both  mivigable 
during  the  warm  months  and  draining  rich  farming  lands. 
( )n  the  coast  are  cities  with  good  harbors  —  Newchwang, 
Dairen,  and  I'ort  Arthur,  the  two  ]att(!r  icc-fi'cc  (birin;^  the 


128 


ASIA 


entire  j'ear.  Not  much  more  than  a  fifth  of  Manchuria  is 
at  present  under  cultivation,  and  on  her  undeveloped  land 
there  is  room  for  thousands  of  colonists.  To  the  south, 
China  and  India,  crowded  with  millions  of  people,  are  de- 
manding in  greater  quantities  each  year  the  grains  which 
Manchuria  can  supply.    Across  the  Pacific  Ocean  our  great 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  4G.    In  tiii;  Vai.i.kys  of  Manchuria  is  some  of  the  Finest 
Agricultural  Land  in  the  World 

Western  cities  are  ready  to  furnish  farming  tools,  machinery, 
and  clothing  materials  which  for  many  years  Manchuria 
must  import.  It  is  no  wonder  that  Russia  desired  to  pos- 
sess such  a  fertile  region.  It  is  no  wonder  that  Japan  also 
wished  to  control  the  ports  and  increase  her  trade  with 
the  land  so  near  her,  which  in  the  future  may  become  the 
greatest  wheat  producer,  the  largest  lumber  yard,  and  the 
richest  gold-mining  center  of  eastern  Asia. 


MANCHURIA  129 

Our  easiest  method  of  travel  tlirough  Manchuria  is  by 
train.  A  raih-oad  follows  the  Liao  River  valley,  the  most 
densely  populated  and  best-cultivated  part  of  the  country. 
We  will  start  from  Port  Arthur,  the  Gibraltar  of  the 
East.  This  city  and  its  fortress,  situated  at  the  extreme 
southern  end  of  the  Liaotung  peninsula,  is  the  place  so 
long  defended  by  the  Russians  and  at  last  so  bravely  taken 
by  the  Japanese.  Surrounded  by  a  circle  of  hills  and  pos- 
sessed of  a  fine  harbor  with  a  narrow,  well-protected  mouth, 
Port  Arthur  is  splendidly  situated  to  guard  the  approach 
to  Manchuria  from  the  south. 

It  is  hard  to  tell,  from  the  appearance  of  the  city,  in  what 
country  we  are.  Everything  in  the  Russian  quarter  is  just 
like  Russia,  m  the  Japanese  portion  like  Japan,  and  in  the 
Chmese  settlement  like  Chma.  We  can  ride  in  a  man-drawn 
Japanese  jinrikisha,  a  Russian  drosky,  or  a  Chinese  cart. 
As  our  time  is  limited,  we  will  use  none  of  these  convey- 
ances but  w^ill  start  northward  in  a  train  drawn  by  a  loco- 
motive made  in  Philadelphia. 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  made-to-order  city?  Forty  miles 
northeast  of  Port  Arthur  is  Dairen,  a  fine  city  with  broad 
streets,  great  warehouses,  imposing  public  buildings,  and 
many  modern  conveniences.  Yet  at  the  beginning  of  this 
century  the  city  of  Dairen  did  not  exist.  The  Russians, 
when  searching  for  an  ice-free  port  which  should  also  be 
the  southern  terminus  of  the  greatest  railroad  in  the  world, 
selected  this  spot  in  Manchuria,  and  a  small  army  of  Russian 
workmen,  by  command  of  the  czar,  Nicholas  II,  began  the 
work  of  creating  a  city,  just  as  Russian  laborers  in  tlie  early 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  at  the  direction  of  Peter 
the  Great,  built  St.  Petersburg  (now   Petrograd). 


130 


ASIA 


I  )air('ii  lias  a  splendid  liaihor  \\(dl  c'(|uipped  with  all  mod- 
ern couvt'iiii'iici'S  lor  carrying  on  connnerco  and  large  and 
ck'fp  enough  to  at'eonnnodate  ocean  steamers.  It  has  already 
become  an  important  commercial  port  and  is  destined  for 


)  ITiulerwood  &  Underwood 
Fig.  47.    At  tiik  IJictiiXNiNf;  of  This  Century  Daikkn  did  not  exist 

greater  things  in  the  future,  as  Newchwang,  the  other  chief 
seaport  of  Manchuria,  two  liundred  miles  farther  north,  is 
closed  by  ice  for  four  months  of  the  year.  It  is  the  Japanese, 
however,  who  are  controlling  much  of  the  commerce  which 
Russia  fondly  imagined  would  pass  through  her  hands. 


MANCHURIA 


131 


Our  ride  through  southern  Manchuria  takes  us  through 
a  country  very  smiilar  to  northern  Chma.  We  see  the  fields 
of  millet,  the  rows  of  poplar  trees,  and  the  crowded  villages 
with  narrow  streets  and  small  houses  inhabited  by  ignorant, 


Fig.  48.    Roati-.Makin';    i^    I  nknown    in    Ai am  riri;i a 

liard-working  people  —  all  very  similar  to  the  fields,  vil- 
lages, streets,  and  houses  of  the  more  southern  regions. 
When  we  see  the  roads,  or  the  gullied,  stony  paths  which 
pass  as  such,  we  are  glad  tliat  we  decided  to  travel  by 
train.    Road-makiiig  is  unknown  in  Maneliuria.    In  summer. 


132  ASIA 

the  season  wlieii  the  country  receives  most  of  its  rain,  the 
highways  are  so  muddy  as  to  be  impassable.  Most  of  the 
tralHc  is  carried  on  in  the  winter,  when  the  ground  is  frozen 
and  when  the  chimsy,  lieavily  loaded  teams  can  take  a  direct 
lint'  across  the  liclds  without  injuring  the  crops. 

W'l'  will  stop  for  a  little  while  at  Newchwang,  which, 
though  icebound  for  three  or  four  months  of  the  year,  is 
one  of  the  chief  ports  of  Manchuria.  Down  the  Liao  River, 
and  on  the  railroad  which  follows  its  valley,  pours  the 
wealth  of  Manchurian  farms.  A  forest  of  junks  lies  in  the 
ri\'er,  and  the  scenes  on  the  banks  show  the  bustle,  confu- 
s'um,  and  noise  whicli  are  always  found  where  crowds  of 
Chinese  work  together. 

Newchwang  does  not  impress  us  as  a  very  beautiful  or 
a  very  interesting  place.  It  is  surrounded  by  dreary,  flat 
marshes  on  which  the  making  of  salt  from  sea  water  is  the 
chief  occupation.  See  those  large  buildmgs  dowii  by  the 
river.  Those  are  bean  factories,  where  bean  oil  and  bean 
cake  are  made.  The  Manchurians  must  like  "bean  porridge 
hot,  bean  porridge  cold,  and  bean  porridge  in  the  pot  nine 
days  old."  Beans  of  all  colors  and  sizes  are  raised  and  eaten 
everywhere  in  the  country.  They  are  dried  and  pickled 
and  boiled  ;  they  are  made  into  flour,  into  a  paste  some- 
thing like  macaroni,  and  into  bean  curd,  a  favorite  dish 
with  most  of  the  people.  Beans  are  also  pressed  for  the  oil 
which  they  contain,  and  this  is  used  for  cooking  and  light- 
ing ;  the  cake  which  is  left  is  not  wasted,  but  serves  as  a 
cattle  food  and  fertilizer.  If  we  could  examme  the  cargoes 
of  the  junks  in  the  river  and  of  the  steamers  which  lie  in 
the  harbor  bound  for  Japan,  England,  and  the  United 
States,  we  should  find  some  bean  product  on  every  one. 


MANCHURIA 


133 


Not  all  the  beans  raised  iii  Manchuria  or  the  products 
obtained  from  them  are  shipped  from  the  southern  ports  of 
Dairen  and  Newchwang.  The  output  of  the  more  northern 
farms  is  sent  out  of  the  country  by  rail  to  Vladivostok,  the  ter- 
minus of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad,  and  thence  across  the 
Japan  Sea  to  Japan,  where  large  quantities  of  beans  are  used. 


Fig.  49.    liEANs,  Bean  C  akk,  and  Bean  Oil  are  shipped  from 
Manchuria  in  Great  Quantities 


Look  at  that  line  of  carts  piled  high  with  dried  millet 
stalks.  This  is  the  chief  fuel  of  Newchwang.  It  is  mucli 
cheaper  than  wood  and  does  very  well  for  the  little  lire 
which  the  people  use  for  their  cooking. 

There  come  some  coolies,  each  with  a  jiile  of  small,  dark 
skins  on  his  l)a<'k.  'I'Ih'V  have  come  from  the  dog  and 
goat  farms  in  the  northern  paits  of  Manclmria,  where  the 


134 


ASIA 


aiiiiuals  are  raised  as  sheep  and  cattle  are,  and  are  killed  in 
the  winter  when  the  fur  is  heavy.  The  skins  are  l)r()ught 
in  carts  over  the  frozen  lields  to  Mukden,  Kirin,  and  smaller 
tradmg  centers,  where  they  are  dressed.  They  are  then 
shipped  down  the  river  to  Newchwang,  whence  they  are 
sent  to  other  countries  to  be  made  into  mats  and  coats. 


Pig.  50.    Like  the  Cities  of  China,  Mukden  has  its  Low  Houses, 
ITS  Dirt,  and  its  Smells 

Uke  the  walled  cities  of  China,  Mukden  has  its  gates, 
its  low  houses,  its  dirt,  and  its  smells.  It  is  a  busy  city  at 
all  times,  but  there  is  more  traffic  in  whiter  than  in  summer. 
To  be  sure,  the  winters  are  cold  (the  temperature  often 
falling  more  than  twenty  degrees  below  zero),  but  neither 
the  fur-clad  people  nor  the  shaggy  ponies  which  live  out 
of  doors  in  all  kmds  of  weather  seem  to  mind  it. 


MANCHUKIA  135 

Mukden  is  an  important  i'ur-diessing  center,  not  only  for 
the  skins  from  the  dog  and  goat  farms  but  for  the  more 
valuable  furs  for  which  Manchuria  and  Siberia  are  noted. 
Many  fur-bearing  animals,  such  as  the  sable,  fox,  squirrel, 
otter,  and  bear,  live  in  the  deep  forests,  and  hundreds  of 
men  hnd  employment  in  trapping  them  during  the  long 
winter  months.  Other  parts  of  annuals  besides  the  skins 
are  often  usefuL  The  horns  and  hoofs  of  the  deer  are 
dried  and  then  ground  into  a  powder,  which  is  used  in 
China  as  a  medicine.  Some  of  the  native  Chinese  druggists 
carry  a  queer  stock  in  trade.  H  you  were  sick,  you  might 
not  object  to  a  dose  of  rhubarb,  wliich  is  a  favorite  remedy, 
but  how  would  you  like  to  take  some  ground  tiger-liones 
or  powdered  deerhorns  ? 

On  account  of  the  bad  condition  of  the  roads  it  would 
not  be  easy  to  travel  through  Manchuria  in  the  summer. 
If  we  did,  we  should  meet  few  teams  aiul  few  people. 
During  the  warm  season  the  people  work  on  their  little 
farms  and  do  not  try  to  carry  their  produce  to  the  large 
centers  until  the  frost  makes  the  nuuldy  roads  passable 
and  turns  the  river  hito  a  broad,  smooth  highway.  In  the 
winter  we  should  meet  around  Mukden  hundreds  of  carts 
loaded  with  grain,  fur,  lumber,  and  meat,  'i'hese  goods  are 
stored  in  the  city  until  the  river  opens  in  the  spring.  Then 
fleets  of  junks  loaded  with  cotton  goods,  keioscnc,  tools, 
matches,  silk,  and  tobacco  come  upstream  and,  after  dis- 
charging their  loads  at  the  different  river  polls,  turn  south- 
ward, laden  with  the  products  of  Manehurian  farms. 

Here  comes  a  sleigh  which  looks  like  a  raft  on  luiniers. 
It  is  filled  with  straw  covered  with  a  heavy  ox -skin  rug,  on 
wliicli  the  driver  is  sitting  so  wrapped  in   furs  that  all  we 


l;JG  ASIA 

can  set'  of  liiiii  is  his  eyes.  See  that  line  of  heavy  carts 
(haw n  by  eight  shaggy  little  horses  pulling  with  might  and 
main,  and  tilled  to  the  brim  with  beans  which  have  come 
many  miles  across  the  frozen  country.  The  carts  are  so 
rough  and  loosely  made  that  we  wonder  wliy  the  beans  do 
not  shake  out  through  the  cracks  in  the  sides  and  floor, 
until  we  sec  that  they  are  lined  with  coarse  mats  made  of 
millet  straw. 

It  would  be  as  hard  for  the  Manchurian  to  do  without 
millet  as  for  the  -Japanese  to  get  along  without  band)oo. 
It  is  the  staple  food  both  of  the  animals  and  of  the  people. 
The  straw  is  used  for  fuel,  for  fences,  for  coarse  mats,  and, 
plastered  with  mud,  for  the  walls  of  houses.  I'he  heads  of 
millet  are  tied  together  and  used  for  brooms.  In  the  spring 
the  roots  are  plowed  up  and  used  for  fuel.  In  our  trip 
through  the  country  we  notice  in  every  yard  the  stack  of 
millet  roots,  just  as  in  our  own  land  we  find  the  coal  in 
the  cellar  or  the  woodpile  in  the  shed. 

Do  you  hear  that  crack  of  a  whip  like  a  pistol  shot  ? 
What  a  grunting  and  squealing  follows!  It  is  only  a  boy 
just  in  from  the  country  with  a  drove  of  hogs.  The  squeal- 
ing creatures  till  the  street,  so  that  we  are  forced  to  step 
into  a  doorway  to  give  them  room.  Those  teams  waiting 
before  that  great  building  are  filled  with  frozen  pigs. 
Pork,  you  remember,  is  the  favorite  dish  of  the  Chinese, 
and  without  it  a  feast  is  no  more  complete  than  our 
Thanksgiving  dimier  would  be  without  the  turkey.  Many 
hogs  are  killed  during  the  winter  on  the  farms  scattered 
through  the  country;  these  are  brought  in  carts  to  the 
cities  for  distribution,  and  many  more  are  driven  in  from 
the  country  in  droves  and  slaughtered  m  the  cities. 


MAXCHUEIA 


137 


Let  us  stop  on  our  way  north  from  Mukden  for  a 
glimpse  into  a  JNIanchurian  home  and  see  how  these 
farmers  and  drovers  and  carters  live.    The  low  stone  or 


Vri-**^Sti^ 


(tD  T'luliTwonil  &  Underwood 

Fk;.  51.    Let  us  stop  fok  a  Pkep  into  a  Manchukian  Home 

mud  Vjuildings  do  not  look  attractive  on  the  outside,  and 
as  we  enter,  the  inside  appears  less  so.  If  we  wore  to  stay 
all  night,  we  should  have  to  sleep  on  that  lnw  l)ri(k  j)lat- 
form.  The  only  covering  is  a  dirty  icM  quilt,  whi("h  is 
already  so  thickly  inliabited  that  we  should  get  very  little 


188 


ASIA 


rest.  Even  in  tlic  coldest  weatlier  we  should  probably  be 
warm  enough,  at  least  during  the  early  i)art  of  the  night, 
as  there  are  little  flues  under  the  bed  which  are  heated 
from  the  fire  of  millet  straw.  The  bed  is  very  warm  when 
the  tire  is  Inirning,  l)ut  cools  off  quickly  as  it  dies  down. 

Unless  we  know 
how  to  eat  with  chop- 
sticks, we  shall  not 
accept  their  invitation 
to  dinner,  as  chop- 
sticks are  used  by  the 
Chinese  in  Manchuria 
just  as  they  are  by 
tlieir  relatives  farther 
south.  You  may  not 
care  for  the  food 
which  is  offered.  It 
is  millet  flour  boiled 
in  water  until  it  forms 
a  kind  of  mush,  and 
then  mixed  with  some 
vegetable  or  l)it  of 
chopped  meat.  Tea  is  always  served,  but  even  if  3'ou  like 
tea  as  we  drink  it  in  our  country,  you  will  not  like  the 
brick  tea  which  is  used  in  Manchuria. 

There  are  few  men  at  honic  in  the  winter.  Some  are 
away  in  the  deep  woods  hunting  and  trapping,  some  are 
lumberuig,  and  some  are  gone  with  the  carts  of  beans  to 
the  nearest  river  port.  The  women  tend  the  animals,  get 
the  food,  make  the  straw  mats,  and  reel  the  silk  from  the 
cocoons.  You  are  surprised,  are  you  not,  to  fuid  silkworms 


©Keystone  View  Co. 

Fir..  52.    Chopsticks  are  used  in 
Manciuuia 


MANCHUEIA  139 

in  a  country  so  far  north  as  Manchuria  ?  They  are  raised 
here  in  immense  numbers,  and  silk  is  the  most  vahiable  of 
all  the  animal  products.  The  worms  feed  on  the  leaves 
of  the  oak  tree,  and  the  threads  which  they  spin  are  very 
strong  but  not  so  round  and  smooth  as  those  spun  by  the 
mulberry-fed  worms.  This  unevenness  accounts  for  the 
roughness  of  the  pongee  which  is  made  from  this  so-called 
wild  silk. 

Harbm,  nearly  six  hundred  miles  north  of  Dairen,  con- 
sists of  three  distinct  parts :  the  old  Chinese  city  remains 
just  as  it  was  before  the  invasion  of  the  Russians,  the  com- 
mercial port  is  on  the  bank  of  the  Sungari  River,  while 
between  the  two,  at  the  junction  of  the  main  line  of  the 
Trans-Siberian  Railroad  and  the  branch  running  southward 
to  Dairen,  lies  the  newer  Russian  section.  The  city  has 
direct  railroad  connection  with  Dairen  and  Xev/chwanof, 
the  southern  outlets  of  Manchuria,  with  A'ladivostok,  the 
eastern  terminus  of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad,  and,  by 
means  of  this  railroad,  with  the  great  centers  of  Europe. 
Although  they  are  frozen  nearly  half  the  year,  the  Amur 
River  and  the  Sungari,  on  which  Harbin  is  situated,  furnish 
during  the  remaining  montlis  clieap  Avater  transportation 
for  (juantities  of  lumber,  grain,  clothing,  boots  and  shoes, 
furs,  and  ore.  ^Mountains  i-ise  to  the  east  and  west  of  the 
city,  and  the  valley  between  is  covered  f(tr  miles  with  end- 
less fields  of  wheat  and  millet.  A  field  of  giant  millet 
is  a  wonderful  sight;  it  stands,  a  sea  of  waving  green, 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  high.  In  September,  wlien 
nearly  i-ipc,  the  heads  turn  to  a  purplisli-browii  color  and 
droop  slightly  as  if  weary  of  carrying  longer  the  line  large 
golden  kernels  which  form  the  chief  food  of  the  people. 


140  ASIA 

The  plains  of  Manchuria  make  ideal  wheat  fields,  and  the 
flour-mills  of  Harbin  are  e(juipped  with  modern  machinery. 
In  ilif  t'liturc,  flour  will  be  one  of  the  most  important  prod- 
uct's of  jManchnria,  and  Harbin  will  be  the  center  of  the 
output,  as  Minnoa[)olis  is  in  the  United  States. 

Down  by  the  river,  beside  the  flour-mills,  we  pass  many 
saw-mills,  where  the  whizzing  saws  are  continually  scream- 
ing for  more  lumber.  In  warm  weather  the  river  is  crowded 
with  junks  loaded  with  grain,  timber,  and  firewood,  and 
many  coolies  are  busy  on  the  wharves.  We  see  lines  of 
carts,  just  as  numerous  and  just  as  roughly  made  as  those 
at  Newchwang,  filled  with  beans,  wheat,  hogs,  and  skins. 
That  is  a  queer-looking  team  standing  near  the  carts  at  tlie 
railroad  station.  It  is  a  little  wooden  house  with  a  stove 
and  chimney,  set  on  wheels  (in  winter  on  runners)  and 
draAATi  by  four  wiry  Mongolian  horses.  That  is  the  stage- 
coach which  runs  between  Harbin  and  a  neiohborinof  town. 
It  would  be  fun  to  ride  out  into  the  country  in  such  a 
curious  conveyance,  but  many  other  lands  are  still  waiting 
to  be  explored,  so  we  will  fasten  our  fur  coats  more  closely 
about  us  and  go  for  our  next  visit  into  Siberia,  the  coldest 
and  tlu>  largest  country  of  Asia. 


MAKCHURIA  141 

TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  Position  of  Manchuria. 

2.  Growth  of  the  Russian  Empire. 

3.  Russia  in  Manchuria  and  Korea. 

4.  The  Chino-Japanese  War. 

5.  The  Russo-Japanese  War. 

6.  Resources  and  productions  of  Manchuria. 

7.  Cities  of  Manchuria. 

8.  Traffic  and  transi^ortation. 

9.  Life  in  Manchuria. 


II 


1.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  cities  spoken  of  in  this  chapter.  Opposite 
the  name  of  each  one  write  the  name  of  a  European  and  of  an 
American  city  in  about  the  same  latitude. 

2.  Compare  the  size  of  each  city  spoken  of  with  some  city  in  the 
United  States  or  with  your  home  city. 

3.  On  an  outline  map  of  Asia  show  Manchuria  and  Korea.  Indi- 
cate the  railroads  spoken  of  and  the  cities  at  the  termini. 

4.  Write  in  a  brief  statement  your  opinion  of  Russia  ;  of  China  ; 
of  Japan. 

5.  Ship  a  cargo  of  Manchurian  beans  to  England.  Name  the  shij)- 
ping  and  receiving  ports  and  the  waters  sailed  on.  Use  the  scale  and 
give  a  rough  estimate  of  the  distance  between  the  two  places. 

6.  Compare  the  length  of  the  voyage  in  question  5  with  its 
length  if  made  by  way  of  the  Panama  Canal. 

7.  Fill  in  these  elliptical  sentences  : 

a.  Manchuria  touches  and  ;    its  shores  touch 

the  Sea. 

b.  Some  important  cities  of  Manchuria  are  ,  , 

and  . 

and 

Uj  - 


c.  Some  im])ortant  j)r()ducts  of  Manchuria  are 


(I.  A  branch  of  the  Trans-Siberian  liuilroud  iiins  from 


142 


ASIA 


each  1 
chai>ti 


III 

aMc  to  s])fll   and   jiroiioiuico  the   followint^  names.     Locate 
ihice  and  ti'll  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous 


Manchuria 

JNIongolia 

Korea 

Siberia 

China 

.lajian 

IVrsia 

India 

Russia 

Enghiud 

Germany 

France 

Formosa 

Liaotun^'  jn'iiinsuhx 

(iil)raUar 

JMinnesota 

California 

Baltic  Sea 

Black  Sea 

Caspian  Sea 


Persian  (liilf 

Yalu  llivcr 

Sungari  River 

Amur  River 

Liao  River 

Port  Arthur 

Newcliwang 

Mukden 

Harbin 

I)aii"en 

Vladivostok 

Peking 

Copenhagen 

Constantino]  )le 

Riga 

Pftrograd 

JMinncapolis 

Philadelphia 

Portsmouth 


CHAPTER  VIII 
A  TRIP  OX  THE  TRAXS-SIBERIAX  RAILROAD 

Let  us  take  a  trip  on  the  longest  railway  in  the  world. 
It  stretches  eastward  from  Moscow  over  the  Ural  Moun- 
tains and  thence  entu-ely  across  the  largest  country  of  Asia 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  ribbon  of  steel  would  reach  from 
San  Francisco  across  the  United  States  and  nearly  to  Liver- 
pool. That  part  of  it  east  of  the  L^ral  ]\Iountains,  known 
as  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad,  if  laid  on  the  map  of  North 
America,  would  reach  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  North  Pole. 

What  an  immense  country  Siberia  must  be  to  contain 
such  a  railroad !  If  on  a  map  of  Siberia  you  placed  a  map 
of  the  United  States,  so  wide  a  margin  would  be  left  around 
it  that  you  would  have  nearly  room  enough  for  all  the 
countries  of  Europe  except  Russia.  Surely  a  country  so 
large  and  so  far  distant  nuist  be  an  interesting  one  to  visit. 

Starting  from  the  beautiful  stone  station  in  Moscow, 
the  first  part  of  our  trip  will  take  us  across  the  Russian 
plains  and  over  the  I'ral  Mountains.  These  are  scarcely 
more  than  high  hills,  and  the  very  highest  is  lower  than 
Mt.  Washington.  Most  of  Russia  is  a  vast  plain  which, 
tliough  very  useful  for  agriculture,  is  almost  entirely  lack- 
ing in  mineral  wealth.  This  the  Ural  Mountains  possess 
in  great  quantities.  A  large  part  of  the  world's  supply  of 
platinum  comes  from  the  Urals,  and  they  furnish  also  nmch 

143 


144 


ASIA 


of  the  iron  used  in  Russia.  Gold  and  precious  stones  are 
found  in  abundance.  There  are  sappliires,  emeralds,  to- 
pazes, amethysts,  garnets,  and  many  others,  to  say  nothing 
of  rich  stores  of  gleammg  porphyry,  beautiful  jasper,  and 
great  slabs  of  malachite  in  every  shade  and  tint  of  green. 

On  the  summit  of  the  pass  over  the  Urals  we  see  by  the 
side  of  the  railroad  a  stone  monument  with  the  word  Europe 
on  its  western  face  and  Asia  on  its  eastern  side.     This 


Fk;.  53.    Our  First  Stop  in  Asia  is  at  Ciielyabixsk 


small  cohimn  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains  is  the  boundary 
stone  between  the  two  continents,  and  as  we  pass  it  we 
know  that  our  Siberian  trip  has  really  begun.  Our  first 
stop  in  Asia  is  at  Chelyabinsk.  This  town  with  the  long 
Russian  name  is  the  gate  through  which  the  railroad  enters 
Siberia.  For  a  hundred  years  millions  of  Russians  have 
passed  this  way  on  their  long  eastern  journey,  and  to-day 
thousands  stop  here  before  going  farther  into  the  new  land. 
Can  you  imagine  a  prison  larger  than  the  whole  United 
States  ?    That  is  what  Siberia  used  to  be.    Thieves  and 


SIBERIA  145 

murderers,  people  whom  the  Russian  government  feared 
might  incite  the  people  to  rebellion,  drunkards  and  vaga- 
bonds whom  village  councils  were  unwilling  should  remaui 
longer  in  the  community,  were  sentenced  to  Siberia,  some 
for  life  and  some  for  a  certain  number  of  years.  At  the 
end  of  their  sentences  some  of  the  exiles  returned  to  their 
homes  in  Russia,  while  others,  seeing  how  fertile  the  land 
was  and  how  prosperous  its  people  were  likely  to  become, 
settled  in  Siberia.  The  families  of  the  convicts  often  went 
with  them  into  exile,  and  many  of  the  present  inhabitants 
of  the  country  are  their  descendants. 

These  prisoners  and  their  families  were  taken  to  Chelya- 
binsk and  from  there  distributed  under  guard  to  different 
parts  of  the  country.  Russia  to-day  realizes  the  value  of 
the  immense  territory  of  Siberia  and  is  anxious  to  people 
it  with  more  desirable  citizens  than  the  descendants  of 
criminals,  so  she  is  encouraging  emigration  instead.  Some 
of  her  worst  offenders  have  been  sent  to  the  island  of  Sa- 
khalin on  the  far  eastern  coast  of  Asia.  This  island  is  rather 
smaller  than  the  state  of  Maine,  and  so  few  people  live  in 
it  that  the  average  is  less  than  one  to  a  square  mile.  It  is 
a  cold,  bleak,  foggy  land  with  many  mountains  and  dense 
forests.  The  native  tribes  live  by  hunting  and  fishing  and 
by  bartering  furs.  Snow  falls  in  October  and  remains  on 
the  ground  till  May  or  June.  Early  in  the  winter  the  water 
separating  the  island  from  the  mainland  is  frozen  over,  and 
tliere  is  no  communication  with  tlie  outside  world  except 
by  a  long,  dangerous  sledge  ti'ip.  Once  or  twice  during  the 
winter  the  mail  is  brought  l)y  sledge;,  and  a  crowd,  eager 
for  home  letters,  await  their  arrival  at  the  little  post  office, 
wiiif^h    omplifisi/ps   its   rlistance   from    the   homeland    by  a 


14»; 


ASIA 


signpost  which  tells  us  th;it  IV'trograd  is  10,1H()  versts 
away.  A  vorst  is  about  two  thirds  of  a  uiilc,  and  10,186 
versts  e(|ual  nearly  seven  thousand  miles. 

The  people  whom  one  sees  to-day  at  Chelyabinsk  are  for 
the  most  part  emigrants  going  to  begin  a  new  life  iii  Siberia. 


:-^^ 

-^i^ 


la  Umlcrwood  &  liuki  wood 

Fig.  54.   Once  ok  Twice  im  ijinc;  the  Winter  the  Mail  is  bkought 
BY  Sledge  to  Sakhalin 


In  recent  years  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Russian  peasants 
have  settled  m  Siberia,  and  at  one  time  the  government  did 
everything  possible  to  encourage  emigration  and  make  it 
successful.  The  peasants  were  sent  to  the  most  fertile  parts 
of  the  country  ;  they  were  given  large  areas  of  land  on  which 
they  paid  no  taxes  for  some  years  ;  and  tliey  were  furnished, 
at  very  low  prices  and  with  long  terms  of  credit,  with  seeds 


SIBEEIA 


147 


and  tools,  cattle  and  horses.  The  spring  is  the  most  favorable 
time  for  emigration,  and  during  that  season  one  might  have 
seen  in  tlie  large,  bare-looking  buildings  near  the  station 
of  Chelyabinsk  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children  hud- 
dled together  with  their  piles  of  bedding,  cooking  utensils, 
trunks,  and  boxes.  Here  they  were  examined,  their  land  was 


Fig.  55.    The  People  whom  one  sees  To-day  at  Chelvabinsk 
ARE  Emigrants 


allotted  to  them,  and  they  were  started  on  their  eastern  trip, 
which  in  some  cases  took  months  to  complete.  Some  went 
by  railroad,  some  by  water,  and  some  overland  by  the  great 
post  road  which  stretches  entirely  across  Siberia.  Tliose 
\\ho  go  by  this  slow  method  to  the  Amur  valley  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  country  may  be  two  or  three  years  on 
their  journey.    They  stop  to  rest  their  horses,  to  feed  tlieir 


148 


ASIA 


cattle,  to  earn  money  by  working  on  the  railroad  or  on 
some  farm,  or  perhaps  to  camp  in  some  place  long  enough 
to  raise  a  crop  of  wheat  or  barley  ui  order  that  they  may 
be  sure  of  food  during  the  winter. 

Leaving  Chelyabinsk  and  tlie  mountains  behind  us,  we 
ride  on  through  a  Hat,  treeless  country.    Hour  after  hour 


Fk;.  56.    The  Railroad  stretciiks  in  a  Straight  Line  like  a 
KinnoN  OF  Steel  unrolled  over  the  Land 

and  day  after  day  we  see  only  the  level,  grassy  fields  rolling 
away  on  every  side  to  meet  the  sky.  As  far  ahead  and  be- 
hind us  as  we  can  see,  the  railroad  stretches  in  a  perfectly 
straight  line  over  the  land. 

At  the  end  of  every  verst  we  pass  a  little  yellow  house 
close  beside  the  track.  As  we  ghde  slowly  by,  a  man,  or 
sometimes  a  woman  or  a  child,  comes  out  and  waves  a  green 
flag  to  signal  that  all  is  well  for  the  train  to  continue  on 


SIBERIA 


149 


its  way.  Every  two  thirds  of  a  mile  from  Moscow  on  the 
Volga  to  Vladivostok  on  the  Pacific  a  verstman  will  be 
found  livmg  in  liis  lonely  home  to  guard  this  single  line 
of  steel,  which  furnishes  the  only  railroad  communication 
between  Europe  and  eastern  Asia.  There  are  nearly  ten 
thousand  of  these  verstmen,  manv  of  whom  are  ex-convicts. 


Fig.  57.    At  tiik,  Stations  thi:ki;  auk  Tmcntv  ok  Tiiin(;s  to  eat 

AM)  TlMK    to    eat    TMKM 


They  usually  till  a  little  farm  and  keep  a  few  cattle  and 
sheep,  but  their  lives  at  best  must  be  lonely,  with  no  neigh- 
bors nearer  than  the  guards  at  the  next  verst  liouse  nearly 
a  mile  away. 

Every  twenty  or  tliirty  miles  the  train  stops  at  a  neat 
little  station  with  a  water  tower  and  a  huge  woodpile  near 
Ijy.   When  the  train  comes  to  a  standstill,  everybody  rushes 


150  ASIA 

pell-mell  for  the  platform.  Getting  out  of  the  cars  is  not 
so  simple  a  matter  as  it  is  in  the  United  States,  as  people 
ill  Siberia  carry  much  more  baggage  than  is  usual  or  neces- 
sary in  our  country.  Hotel  keepers  in  Asia  will  look  at  us 
in  surprise  if  we  ask  for  a  pillow  or  sheets  and  blankets  for 
our  beds,  as  we  are  supposed  to  bring  our  own.  Then  too 
the  Russian  likes  to  drink  tea  at  all  times  of  the  day,  and 
for  this  reason  people  carry  with  them  their  teapots,  sugar, 
,  and  usually  some  food.  At  every  station  there  is  a  steam- 
ing hot  samovar,  where  each  one  can  help  himself  to  hot 
water.  There  are  also  plenty  of  things  to  eat  and  time  to 
eat  them.  The  platforms  are  crowded  with  p{K)ple  from  the 
surrounding  country,  selling  milk,  eggs,  and  huge  loaves  of 
white  and  black  bread,  while  inside  the  station  there  is  a 
restaurant  and  a  lunch  counter.  Many  of  the  poorer  emi- 
grants get  what  they  need  at  the  station,  make  their  tea 
and  soup  on  the  train,  and  eat  and  drink  while  they  travel. 

It  seems  good  to  walk  about  a  little  after  riding  so  long. 
Nearly  everybody  alights  whenever  the  train  halts  at  a 
station,  for  it  is  sure  to  make  a  stop  of  from  fifteen  min- 
utes to  half  an  hour.  No  one  is  ever  in  a  hurry  in  Russia. 
"What  is  the  use?"  a  Russian  would  say  to  you;  "there 
is  plenty  of  time.  If  we  cannot  do  everything  we  wish 
to-day,  to-morrow  never  fails  to  come." 

There  is  no  danger  of  our  being  left  behind,  for  the  bell 
gives  us  plenty  of  warning.  It  rings  once  as  if  to  say, 
"  You  must  think  of  starting."  After  two  or  three  minutes 
its  ring  again  tells  us,  "  You  are  going  to  start."  A  third 
time  it  sounds,  and  at  this  signal  everybody  gets  aboard, 
and  after  the  whistle  blows  an  additional  warning  we  are 
on  our  way  again. 


SIBERIA 


151 


But,  you  ask,  where  are  the  towns  and  cities  ?  We  have 
seen  none  as  yet  around  the  stations.  That  is  one  of  the 
peculiar  things  about  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad.  The 
towns  lie  from  two  or  three  to  ten  or  fifteen  miles  from 
the  station  which  bears  the  same  name,  and  a  ride  behind 
a  galloping  Russian  horse  over  a  road  worn  mto  deep  ruts 
and  gullied  by  the  rains  is  something  long  to  be  remembered. 


)  Underwood  &  Umierwoud 

Fig.  58.    A  Straggling  Row  of  Log  Houses  stretches  along  Either 
Side  of  a  very  Wide  Space  which  serves  for  a  Stkeet 


We  dash  up  in  fine  style  to  the  group  of  buildings  which 
make  up  the  village,  and  a  feeble  old  man  comes  out  to  open 
the  gate  for  us.  JNlany  Siberian  towns  are  surrounded  by  a 
rough  wooden  fence  to  keep  the  cattle  from  straying,  and 
some  old  person,  an  ex-convict  very  likely,  lives  in  a  little 
wooden  shanty  near  the  gate,  to  open  and  close  it  for  any 
one  who  may  wish  to  pass  through. 

Villages  in  Siljeria  look  as  desolate  and  uncared-for  as 
tliose  west  of  the  Ural  Mountains  in  Rnssiii.  A  straggling 
row  of  log  houses  stretches  along  on  cither  side  of  a  very 


152  ASIA 

wide  space  which  serves  for  a  street.  The  houses  are  made 
of  logs  stuffed  with  moss,  uiipainted  except  for  the  door 
and  window  frames,  and  unornamented  save  for  a  few 
scragglv-lookint;'  plants  in  some,  of  tlit;  windows.  Tn  the 
largest  of  tlic  buildings  there  are  only  two  or  three  rooms, 
and  in  many  of  tliem  only  one.  See  the  muddy  yards  in 
front  of  the  houses!  The  buildings  themselves  are  not 
mucli  clfancr,  foi'  look  I  there  is  a  pig  comhig  out  of  one 
of  them.  That  yellow  house,  larger  than  the  rest,  with  a 
black-and-white  post  in  front  of  it,  is  the  posthonse,  where 
travelers  can  get  food  and  fresh  horses  to  continue  theii' 
journey. 

As  we  step  hiside  one  of  the  houses  it  almost  seems  as 
if  we  were  a  thousand  miles  or  more  farther  west  in  Euro- 
pean Russia.  There  is  the  same  huge  stove,  whose  great 
uven  serves  for  heating,  for  cooking,  and  for  taking  steam 
baths.  The  sacred  picture,  or  icon,  hangs  in  the  right-hand 
corner  of  the  looiu  ;  the  bench  extends  around  three  sides 
of  it,  and  the  rude  table  and  stools  occupy  the  center  of 
the  lloor.  There  are  better  houses  than  this  one,  but  in 
hundreds  of  villages  all  over  the  Russian  Empire  the  ma- 
jority of  the  peo[)le  live  in  homes  like  tlie  one  described. 
In  no  country  of  the  world  are  the  houses  and  villages  so 
similar;  havhig  seen  one,  we  have  seen  them  all. 

These  little  communities  are  governed,  as  are  the  vil- 
lages in  Russia,  by  a  village  council  chosen  by  the  citizens. 
A  peasant  does  not  own  the  land  which  he  tills ;  he  cannot 
sell  it,  neitlier  can  he  buy  more.  It  belongs  to  the  village 
in  w  hich  he  lives,  and  the  council  apportions  to  each  family 
a  certain  part  of  the  pasture,  woodland,  and  farm  land. 
Russian  peasants  are  a  social  people  and  would  never  be 


SIBERIA 


163 


contented  to  live  apart  in  lonely  farmhouses  such  as  are 
common  here.  So  they  gather  in  the  villages  and  some- 
times go  several  miles  to  then-  daily  work.  During  the 
summer,  when  the  men,  and  often  the  women  and  children, 
are  away  ui  the  fields,  the  villages  seem  quite  deserted. 


^^^^^K|3I^N^^^H 

^Ifr 

1'^  W'^^S 

1^ 

pwiiuiWilH 

^^  ^'         I'JQV           ,^<^-^«2aBUUl|B 

^^^^^^^p 

iifcBvi""  -S 

^                   ^'^-:^-. 

AH 

M^.'x^^"^^^ 

Fi<;.   ">0.    There  aue  Finer  Hoisks  than  Triis  in  Siiuckia,   hit  the 
Majority  of  the  People  live   in  Homes  that  are  no  Hkttek 

Tlie  abundance  of  fertile  land  in  Siberia  has  led  to 
\\'asteful  methods  of  farming.  A  peasant  generally  does 
not  bother  with  scientific  methods,  with  fertifizers,  or  with 
rotation  of  crops.  When  one  piece  of  land  sliows  signs  of 
exhaustion,  he  leaves  it  and  plants  another.  There  is  plenty 
of  land;  why  should  he  spend  time  and  money  on  one  piece 
when  another  will  do  equally  well  ?    As  Siberia  becomes 


154  ASIA 

more  thickly  settled,  these  wasteful  methods  must  give 
way  to  more  economical  ones,  but  at  present  there  is  land 
enough  and  to  spare. 

TIk'  wide  street  which  extends  the  length  of  the  villasre 
is  ankle  deep  with  dust  during  the  summer,  and  in  the 
spring  and  fall  a  field  of  mud.  We  wonder  when  the  Sibe- 
rian farmer  ever  travels  or  carries  his  farm  products  to 
market.  Cold  as  it  is  in  winter,  the  peasants  like  that  sea- 
son the  best,  for  the  only  really  good  roads  in  Siberia  are 
the  hard-beaten  snow  tracks.  Can  you  imagine  a  sledge- 
ride  through  the  country  when  the  snow  lies  deep  and 
white  for  miles  around?  You  snaggle  down  among  the 
warm  fur  robes,  the  horses  dash  along  at  full  speed,  the 
bells  tinkle  merrily,  and  the  dry,  cold  air  acts  like  a  tonic. 
Vou  can  ride  for  miles  through  tlie  open  country  and  see 
no  trees,  no  houses,  nothing  but  the  broad  stretch  of  level 
snow  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  You  may  meet  a  few 
teams  on  the  way — a  farmer  carrying  his  milk  to  the  dairy 
or  his  butter  to  the  nearest  railway  station,  or  a  fur-clad 
driver  with  his  sled  piled  high  with  frozen  fish  for  the 
village  store,  with  grain  to  be  sent  away  by  rail,  with 
logs  from  the  nearest  forest,  or  Avith  goatskins  and  sheep- 
skins which  later  may  find  their  way  into  some  great  shoe 
manufactory  in  the  United  States.  Siberia  has  a  long,  very 
cold  winter  and  a  short,  very  hot  summer.  It  is  the  coldest 
country  in  the  world  and,  what  seems  queer,  it  is  also  one 
of  the  hottest.  In  the  winter  the  mercury  falls  many  de- 
grees l)elow  zero,  and  in  the  summer  it  rises  to  more  than 
a  hundred  degrees  above.  The  coldest  place  in  the  world 
is  in  northeastern  Siberia,  where  the  thermometer  has  been 
knoAAm  to  register  more  than  ninety  degrees  below  zero 


156  ASIA 

in  winter  and  as  far  alxn-e  in  summer.  The  spring  and 
sunnner  are  very  short,  and  early  in  the  autunm  tlie  winter 
storms  begin.  The  rivers  of  Siberia  are  frozen  during 
the  cold  season,  some  of  them  to  their  very  beds.  The 
land  in  the  northern  part  of  the  country  is  frozen  hundreds 
of  feet  deep,  and  in  sunmier  it  thaws  only  a  few  inches  below 
the  surface.  You  notice  that  many  of  the  large  rivers  flow 
to  the  north.  The  ice  breaks  up  first  in  the  southern  parts 
of  tlieir  courses,  but  because  they  are  still  frozen  near  their 
mouths,  the  water  cannot  escape  through  their  channels, 
and  instead  overflows  the  land.  As  the  water  cannot  sink 
into  the  frozen  ground,  great  floods  occur,  and  immense 
marshes,  called  tundras,  are  formed  which  cover  much  of 
northern  Siberia.  Buried  in  the  tundras  there  have  been 
found  in  great  numbers  the  remains  of  animals  unlike  any 
which  live  on  the  earth  to-day.  These  animals  are  called 
mammoths.  The  ice  in  which  they  are  embedded  has  pre- 
served their  bodies  perfectly,  so  that  we  know  that  these 
mannnoths  Avere  huge  creatures,  larger  than  elephants,  with 
long  ivory  tusks  and  heavy,  coarse  hair  and  with  an  inner 
coat  of  thick,  matted  wool.  During  the  spring  floods  tlie 
rivers  wash  and  gully  out  large  areas  of  land,  thus  free- 
ing the  embedded  skeletons,  and  hundreds  of  the  natives 
find  employment  in  gathering  the  tusks  and  selling  them 
to  European  merchants. 

On  the  second  day  after  crossing  the  Ural  Mountains 
we  begin  to  see  horsemen  on  the  plains,  some  of  whom  try 
tlie  speed  of  their  shaggy  little  steeds  by  racing  with  the 
train.  Farther  out  on  the  plain  is  a  rider  w^atching  some 
cattle  as  they  feed.  So  still  he  sits  and  so  motionless  is  the 
horse  that  they  seem  like  a  statue  carved  out  of  stone. 


SIBERIA  157 

These  horsemen  are  Ku-ghiz,  wandering  people  of  the 
plams.  They  have  large  flocks  and  herds,  which  in  the 
summer  they  drive  from  place  to  place  for  pasturage. 
Here  are  some  of  them  getting  onto  our  ti'ain  as  it  stops 
at  a  lonely  station.  How  queer  they  look  in  their  long 
sheepskin  coats,  which,  though  the  train  is  very  hot,  they 
do  not  remove.  Perhaps  they  think  that  wliat  will  keep 
out  cold  will  keep  out  lieat  also.  They  wear  high  red 
Ijoots  and  small  caps  edged  with  fur,  and  their  faces  are 
tanned  and  wrinkled  from  their  out-of-door  life.  Out  on 
the  plains  we  see  from  time  to  time  their  herds  of  cattle 
and  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  and  catch  glimpses  of  some 
of  their  encampments  made  up  of  round,  dark  tents.  We 
wonder  of  what  these  people  are  thinking  as  they  see  the 
long  trains  glide  along,  loaded  with  emigrants.  Do  they 
realize  that,  as  more  and  more  settlers  come  to  occupy  the 
land,  they  will  have  to  cease  their  wanderings,  fence  tlieir 
tields,  build  towns  and  cities,  and  give  up  their  old  free 
life  and  limitless  pastures  ? 

Every  day  since  leaving  IVIoscow  we  have  met  trains 
westward  bound.  Some  were  carrying  government  offlcials, 
soldiers,  merchants,  tourists,  and  dissatisfied  emigrants ; 
others  were  loaded  with  hides  and  skins,  wheat,  rye,  or 
barley.  Grain  is  the  chief  product  of  Siberia,  and  the  time 
may  not  be  far  distant  when  she  will  rival  the  United 
States  and  Canada  in  her  production.  We  have  also  met 
trains  made  up  of  from  thirty-five  to  fifty  cars,  all  painted 
white,  which  have  excited  our  curiosity.  What  are  they 
carrying?  Wliat  can  the  farmers  of  Siberia  furnish  the 
pcfiple  of  Europe  in  such  great  quantities  that  these  long 
trains  and  so  many  (jf  them  are  required  ?    You  will  be 


158 


ASIA 


a.st()iiislied  when  I  tell  you  that  they  carry  nothing  but 
butter.  Western  Siberia  eontains  some  of  the  finest  pasture 
huul  iu  the  world,  and  in  that  part  of  the  country  dairying 
is  more  important  than  any  other  industry.  Hundreds 
of  Ions  of  excellent  butter  are  exported  to  Europe  every 
week.  Tliis  is  carried  in  refrigerator  cars  to  the  Baltic  sea- 
ports Petrograd,  Kiga,  and  Keval,  and  from  these  cities  it 


Fic.  61.    People   kidk   \  i:  im    .  i>\i  i  m;  i  \  m  ^    i\    Sir,  i,i;i\    i\    I  III. 
Basketlike  Wagon  called  a  Tarantas 


is  si  lipped  hi  refrigerator  boats  to  London.  Danish  butter 
has  for  many  years  been  considered  better  than  that  made 
in  any  other  country,  but  to-day  it  is  said  that  much  of  the 
Sil)erian  butter  is  just  as  good.  'J'here  are  in  the  country 
several  thousand  butter  factories,  and  the  Russian  gov- 
ernment has  tried  in  different  ways  to  encourage  the  in- 
dustry. It  has  established  hundreds  of  dairying  schools, 
where  people  are  taught  the  best  way  to  feed  their  stock, 
to  care  for  their  milk,  and  to  make  and  pack  butter.  In 
thi'ee  months  an  intelligent  peasant  can  learn  enough  to 


SIBERIA  159 

run  a  dairy  for  a  few  farmers  or  perhaps  for  the  entire 
village  where  he  lives.  Thus  new  dairies  are  constantly- 
being  started,  and  the  industry  is  rapidly  spreading.  The 
farmers  are  sure  of  a  steady  sale  for  their  milk,  or  for  their 
butter  if  they  make  it  at  home.  Every  farmer  owns  horses 
and  thinks  nothing  of  carrying  his  butter,  or  that  manu- 
factured in  the  village  dairy,  many  miles  to  some  city  or 
town.  From  this  center,  caravans  of  sledges,  loaded  with 
the  butter  which  has  been  brought  in  from  the  surrounding 
country,  travel  to  the  nearest  railway  station,  perhaps  sev- 
eral hundred  miles  away.  The  trip  is  such  a  long  one  that 
the  men  have  to  rest  on  the  way,  and  one  driver  takes 
charge  of  four  or  five  sledges  while  the  others  curl  up  in 
their  furs  for  a  good  sleep.  They  in  their  turn  will  care 
for  several  horses  so  that  other  drivers  may  rest. 

From  the  fenced  fields,  the  trees,  and  the  scattered  vil- 
lages which  begin  to  appear  on  the  plain  we  realize  that 
we  are  approaching  a  city.  Soon  we  catch  sight  of  spires 
and  domes,  of  glistening  white  churches  with  green  roofs, 
and  across  a  wide,  swift  river  we  can  see  rows  of  dark,  un- 
painted  houses  lining  broad  streets.  The  train  rumbles  over 
a  splendid  bridge  and  finally  comes  to  a  stop  at  the  well- 
built,  electric-lighted  station  at  Omsk. 

We  shall  find  in  the  course  of  our  journey  that  many 
of  the  names  of  Siberian  cities  end  in  sk.  In  the  Russian 
language  this  ending  means  that  the  city  is  on  a  river  of 
the  same  name.  Tobolsk  is  on  the  Tobol  River,  Irkutsk  on 
the  Irkut,  and  Omsk  is  located  just  where  the  Om  River 
enters  the  Irtysh,  a  branch  of  the  great  01). 

As  we  notice  the  situation  of  Omsk  we  begin  to  under- 
stand  the   reason   for   its  importance.     It  is   located  just 


160  ASIA 

where  the  Trans-Siberian  Raihoad,  the  great  highway 
which  opens  up  the  country  from  east  to  west,  crosses  the 
river  highways  leatUng  north  and  south.  So  numerous  are 
the  waterways  connectmg  with  the  raikoad  and  with  the 
Ob  River  tliat  goods  can  be  brought  to  Omsk  from  the 
Ural  Mountains  on  the  west,  from  the  Arctic  regions  on 
the  north,  from  the  Lena  valley  on  the  east,  and  from 
China  on  the  south.  Resides  these  transportation  routes, 
^^■lli(•h  make  the  situation  of  the  city  so  favorable,  Omsk 
is  located  in  the  center  of  two  thousand  square  miles  of 
tine  farming  and  pasture  land ;  rich  coal  deposits  have 
been  discovered  not  far  off  to  the  south,  and  gold  and 
copper  are  mined  in  the  vicinity. 

Siberian  cities  have  a  new,  unfinished  look.  In  Omsk 
there  are  line  business  blocks  and  splendid  churches  side 
by  side  with  unpainted  log  houses  bordering  dirty,  un- 
paved  streets.  The  store  windows  interest  us.  Here  is 
one  showing  different  kinds  of  farming  machinery,  and 
nearly  every  piece  bears  the  name  of  a  United  States  firm. 
We  send  many  mowing  machines,  harvesters,  reapers,  and 
small  farming  tools  to  Siberia.  Some  are  sold  to  the  Rus- 
sian government,  which  establishes  stores  in  different  cities 
and  sells  to  the  emigrants  at  low  prices  and  with  long 
terms  of  credit.  Some  are  sold  to  butter  merchants,  who 
in  turn  sell  them  to  the  farmers  and  take  their  pay  in 
butter.  Sometimes  the  more  expensive  machinery  is  sold 
to  a  town  or  to  a  group  of  farmers  or  perhaps  to  a  wealthy 
Russian  who  rents  it  to  his  })oorer  neighbors. 

We  can  learn  a  great  deal  about  the  country  and  the 
people  l)y  watching  the  scenes  in  the  streets.  See  that 
sunburned  Kirghiz  on  horseback,  bound  for  his  village  of 


SIBERIA 


161 


black  tents  out  on  the  open  plain.  Here  come  some  butter 
sledges  bringing  in  the  product  from  the  scattered  villages. 
Close  behind  them  are  several  loads  of  wheat,  which  was 
harvested  months  ago,  but  which,  on  account  of  the  poor 
roads,  was  not  carried  to  market.   There  goes  the  sledge  of 


k^           29                          vB^BiP^H '"^ '  ^ '^ 

^j^^BH 

jtfflHi9i^V^jD^^iBBi^^^3^^^B 

^^^^E^P^  ''-'r/^pM 

\  ^^M 

If 

M 

W.— r^^ 

■■_i^ 

ll^ 

"l'^" 

-  ■ 

Fig.  62.    Tiikuk  is  thk  Si.EiKiE  of  a   Wkai.tiiv  Mekciiant 

some  wealthy  merchant.  He  is  so  wrapped  in  furs  that  we 
can  hardly  get  a  glimpse  of  his  face,  but  his  splendid  horses 
go  dashing  along  as  if  they  loved  the  keen,  frosty  air  and 
tlie  music  of  the  bells. 

See  those  tall  camels  walking  silently  on  their  great 
padded  feet  and  almost  liiding  the  low  shnlges  to  uliidi 
they  are  haniessed.    The  sledges  are  lilk-d  with  tea,  which 


162  ASIA 

has  come  overland  from  far-away  China.  All  of  the  tea 
sen"t  from  China  to  Rnssia  formerly  went  by  this  long,  slow 
route  ;  to-day  much  of  it  goes  by  the  ocean  route  to  Odessa, 
and  more  by  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad,  though  large  quan- 
tities are  still  carried  overland  by  coolies  and  camels. 

Add  one  letter  to  Omsk  and  you  have  the  name  of  the 
city  where  we  shall  make  our  next  stop.  Tomsk  is  more 
than  tiftv  miles  from  the  main  line  of  the  raili'oad,  and  pas- 
senuers  uoingr  there  have  to  change  to  a  branch  line.  On 
arriving  at  the  pretty  white  railroad  station  nestled  in  the 
grove  of  birch  trees  we  find  that  the  city  itself,  like  other 
Siberian  cities  and  towns,  is  still  several  miles  away  and 
nuist  be  reached  by  a  long  drive  through  a  field  of  mud. 

As  we  approacli  Tomsk  it  looks  like  a  wonderfully  fine 
place.  On  a  steep,  rugged  cliff  by  the  river  the  residences 
of  the  ortieials  and  rich  merchants  appear  in  the  distance 
like  beautiful  mansions.  A  nearer  view,  however,  shows 
us  that  the  buildings  which  we  thought  were  stone  and 
marble  are  only  wdiitewashed  brick,  the  gardens  are  dusty 
ami  unattractive,  and  the  streets  dirty  and  uncared-for. 
In  the  lower  town  are  the  offices,  warehouses,  workshops, 
and  stores,  a  curious  jumble  of  brick  and  stone  buildings, 
some  modern  blocks  with  electric  lights,  and  some  little 
one-story  wooden  structures.  The  stores  have  no  attractive 
windows,  but  inside  they  offer  a  variety  of  wares.  What 
will  you  have,  some  tea  from  China,  some  apples  from  the 
Caucasus  Mountains,  a  kodak  and  some  new  films  from 
Germany,  or  a  mowing  machuie  from  the  United  States  ? 
Perhaps  you  would  like  some  nuts  from  the  Siberian  cedar 
tree,  which  everyone  seems  to  be  eating.  Thousands  of  tons 
of  these  nuts  are  gathered  every  year  and  sold  in  all  parts 


SIBERIA  163 

of  Siberia ;  little  heaps  of  shells  strew  the  floors  of  the  cars, 
the  stations,  and  the  stores. 

Tomsk  contains  some  beautiful  churches,  a  fine  library, 
and  other  public  buildmgs,  but  we  are  most  interested  in 
its  splendid  university.  The  city  is  the  educational  center 
of  Siberia  and  ranks  next  to  Moscow  and  Petrograd  in 
its  schools.  There  are  more  than  two  thousand  students 
in  the  university,  and  many  more  have  flocked  to  the  tech- 
nical schools  and  other  institutions.  On  the  whole,  you 
see,  Tomsk  is  more  noted  as  an  educational  center  than  as 
a  commercial  city.  Its  trade  is  hampered  by  the  fact  that 
the  city  is  situated  on  a  branch  rather  than  on  the  main 
line  of  the  railroad,  and  on  the  Tom  River,  a  small  stream, 
mstead  of  on  the  mighty  Ob  itself.  Still  it  is  an  important 
shipping  place  for  butter  and  for  furs  and  skhis.  Perhaps 
some  of  tlie  sheepskins  and  goatskms  from  Tomsk  are  made 
up  into  the  very  shoes  that  you  have  on  your  feet. 

As  day  after  day  passes  in  our  eastward  journey  we 
notice  how  the  railroad  crosses  one  after  another  the  great 
rivers  of  the  country.  The  railroad  stretching  east  and 
west  an-d  the  waterways  crossing  north  and  south  open  up 
the  various  parts  of  Siberia  and  aid  in  the  transportation 
of  goods.  No  country  in  the  world  is  better  provided  with 
large  rivers  than  Siberia.  The  total  length  of  its  navigable 
waterways  is  greater  than  the  circumference  of  the  earth 
at  the  equator,  but  unfortunately  navigation  is  hindered 
during  much  of  the  year  by  ice.  Even  when  frozen  the 
rivers  are  far  from  useless,  as  the  smooth,  clear  ice  makes 
splendid  highways,  on  which  there  is  a  great  amount  of 
sledge  traffic.  By  means  of  the  rivers  immense  quantities 
of  products  are  brought  by  boat  in  summer  and  by  sledge 


1(;4  ASIA 

in  \\  inter  from  both  tlie  northern  and  the  .southern  parts 
of  Sil)eria  to  stations  on  the  railroad.  Tlie  rivers  not  only 
oiifU  routes  to  the  nortli  and  to  tlu^  south,  l»ut  one  ean  go 
by  boat  on  the  main  streams,  the  smaHer  brandies,  and  a 
few  canals  entirely  across  Sil)ei'ia  from  the  foot  of  the 
Urals  on  the  wi'st  to  Yakutsk  or  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Anmr  on  the  east.  It  is  a  zigzag  route  and  of  course  a 
sli»\\  one,  and  only  possible  when  the  rivers  are  open.  Many 
of  the  emigrants  to  the  Amur  region  have  followed  this  route, 
and  we  wish  that  we  miglit  journey  with  tliem  ai-ross  the 
country  or  at  least  take  a  river  trip  (hnvn  the  Ob  or  Yeuesei 
or  Lena.  These  three  rivers  and  the  eastward -flowing  Amur 
are  among  the  longest  rivers  in  the  world.  Some  of  their 
branches,  whose  names  are  not  printed  in  the  ordinary 
school  geography,  are  hundreds  of  miles  long  and  are  of 
innnense  importance  to  the  people  living  in  their  valleys. 

A  trip  on  some  of  these  great  rivers  would  give  us  an 
excellent  idea  of  the  three  belts  into  which  the  country  is 
divided.  To  the  south  is  the  rich  farming  region ;  north 
of  this  is  the  broad,  deep  forest  belt,  where  the  rivers  flow 
for  miles  beneath  stately  birches,  graceful  larches,  whisper- 
ing pines,  and  fragrant  cedars ;  on  the  northern  edge  the 
forests  gradually  dwindle  to  stunted  trees  and  shrubs,  and 
the  rivers  finally  emerge  on  the  bare,  desolate  arctic  plain 
and  lose  themselves  in  the  northern  ocean. 

Thus  far  durmg  most  of  our  journey  we  have  been 
riduig  over  grassy  plains,  \\itli  few  trees  in  sight  save  on 
the  banks  of  the  rivers  and  in  the  towns.  Now,  however, 
near  Tomsk,  we  approach  the  great  Siberian  forest,  deep 
and  (lark,  with  flickering  shadows  and  moss-covered  ground. 
This  is  one  of  the  greatest  forest  belts  in  the  world.    It 


SIBERIA  165 

stretches  for  four  or  five  thousand  miles  from  east  to  west 
and  from  one  to  two  thousand  miles  from  north  to  south.  In 
it  we  might  wander  for  days  and  see  no  person,  no  house, 
no  sign  of  life.  There  are  miles  of  treacherous  swamps  and 
immense  areas  where  man  has  never  penetrated.  In  other 
places  near  some  stream  we  might  meet  a  fisherman  from 
some  of  the  northern  tribes  who,  by  means  of  hunting,  fish- 
ing, and  keeping  herds  of  reindeer,  just  manage  to  get  a 
living.  In  the  winter  we  might  meet  a  trader  with  his  load 
of  furs  —  wolf,  bear,  silvery  fox,  costly  sable,  and  fine,  soft 
squirrel :  or  some  official,  visiting  one  of  the  towns  in  the 
district  of  which  he  has  charge,  might  pass  us  in  his  low 
sledge.  How  comfortable  he  looks,  so  covered  with  warm 
fur  robes  that  we  see  but  little  of  his  face !  Perhaps  in  an 
opening  in  the  woods  we  might  find  a  little  village.  The  log 
huts  are  clustered  closer  together  than  in  the  villages  on 
the  open  plain,  for  the  sighing  pines  and  the  ghostly  birches 
make  the  place  even  more  lonely  than  the  grassy  stretches. 
'J  hese  dark  forests  have  a  strange  effect  on  the  emisTant 
who  has  lived  all  his  life  in  the  sunny  fields  of  Russia.  In 
the  deep  sha(h)\vs  of  the  Siberian  woods  he  lauglis  less  often, 
becomes  silent  and  gloomy,  and  doubtless  longs  in  his  heart 
for  the  sunshine  of  his  old  Russian  home. 

The  fields  which  these  forest  villagers  cultivate  are  often 
far  away  in  other  openings  among  the  trees,  and  few  occu- 
pations are  carried  on  in  tlie  villao-e  itself.  We  shall  be 
sure  to  find  in  eacli  one,  however,  a  posthouse  where  we 
can  get  food  aiid  IVesh  horses  to  continue  our  journey.  The 
snapping  of  a  driver's  whij)  or  the  tiidde  of  sledgi"  lu'lls  in 
the  winter  season  always  l)iings  to  llie  doors  and  windows 
barking  dogs,  scampering  children,  and  curious  elders. 


166  ASIA 

These  deep  Siberian  woods  shelter  many  fur-bearing  ani- 
mals, such  as  the  otter,  ermine,  beaver,  sable,  marten,  fox, 
mink,  and  the  larger  wolf  and  bear.  The  cold  climate 
makes  a  thick,  warm  coat  necessary,  and  the  fur  is  there- 
fore more  valuable  than  that  of  animals  living  farther 
south.  Many  of  the  natives  spend  their  time  during  the 
winter  in  hunting  and  trapping,  and  great  quantities  of 
furs,  among  them  some  of  the  most  costly  varieties,  come 
from  the  Siberian  forests.  The  life  of  a  Russian  trapper  is 
a  hard  one.  During  the  winter  he  spends  much  of  his  time 
alone  in  the  deep  woods,  tramping  on  snowshoes  for  hours 
every  day  to  visit  his  traps  and  nets.  In  the  spring,  when 
the  days  grow  longer  and  the  snow  softer,  he  makes  his 
way  to  the  trading  post  many  miles  from  his  camp,  where 
the  pile  of  furs  which  represents  his  winter's  work,  and 
for  some  of  wliicli  my  lady  may  later  pay  a  small  fortune, 
are  sold  for  a  sum  hardly  sufhcient  to  support  him  for  the 
rest  of  the  year. 

From  the  trading  posts  the  pelts  are  sent  to  the  nearest 
river  port  or  railway  station,  and  thence  to  Kiakhta,  Irbit, 
Yakutsk,  or  Nizhni  Novgorod,  to  be  sold  at  the  great  fairs 
which  are  held  annually  in  these  places.  From  these  dis- 
tant cities  most  of  the  skins  are  sent  later  to  London,  the 
greatest  fur-distributing  center  in  the  world.  Here  buyers 
from  all  over  the  civilized  world  congregate  at  the  great 
auction  sales,  at  which  a  nod  of  the  head  of  some  famous 
fur  dealer  may  mean  a  sale  of  several  thousand  dollars. 

Some  of  the  skins  are  dressed  in  the  city  of  London, 
and  many  are  sent  to  Leipzig,  Germany,  an  important 
fur-dressing  city.  Here  they  are  changed  from  dirty, 
greasy    skins    into    fine,    soft    furs.     Some    of    the    great 


SIBERIA  167 

fur-dressing  houses  guard  very  carefully  their  methods  of 
cleansmg  and  dyeing.  It  requires  much  skill  to  get  the 
oil  from  an  ermine  skin  without  giving  a  yellow  tinge  to 


Fi<;.  03.    It  requires  Much  Skill  to  get  the  On.  fkom  an   Kk.mixk 
Skin  without  giving  a  Yellow  Tinge  to  the  Pure  White  Hair 

the  pure  white  hair,  or  to  polish  a  sable  skin  so  that  all 
])arts  shall  have  an  equal  luster.  You  would  like  to  watch 
tlie  process  which  the  manufacturer  calls  tubbing  tlie  pelts. 
Huge  tubs  stand  in  a  row  on  one  side  of  a  long  room,  and 


1G8  ASIA 

in  each  one  is  placed  a  number  of  skins  sprinkled  with  hot 
nuiliogany  sawdust.  In  each  tub  a  half-naked  workman 
treads  and  twists  and  works  the  skins  with  his  feet  for 
several  iioiirs  until  tlicy  arc  thdrous^ldy  softem^L 

After  the  furs  are  dressed,  they  are  giaded,  sorted,  and 
iinally  sent  to  the  cutter,  who  cuts  them  into  small  stri[)S, 
which  he  matclies  so  perfectly  and  pieces  together  so  care- 
t'iill\-  thai  later  \(iu  will  tliiid<,  as  many  peoplt;  do,  that 
your  eollar  or  mulf   is  one   whole  skin. 

Siberia  is  the  greatest  fur-jirodneing  cfnuitry  in  the  world, 
and  its  output  ol  skins  is  enonnous.  Millions  of  s(|uirrel 
skins  and  other  more  common  varieties  and  thousands  of 
the  larer  and  more  expensive  kinds  are  sold  tivery  year  at 
the  great  Russian  fairs.  Large  quantities  of  furs  are  bought 
by  people  in  the  Uniteil  States,  and  some  of  our  largest  firms 
send  their  agents  to  the;  eastei'u  Siberian  fur  district  to  buy 
direct  from  the  trap})ers  instead  of  waiting  for  the  fairs  and 
[)a\ing  the  higher  [)ri('es  which  are  demanded  there.  Many 
of  the  skins  thus  purchased  are  brought  to  New  York,  where 
they  are  dressed  and  manufactured. 

Besides  the  furs,  think  of  the  future  wealth  whicli  lies 
liidden  in  this  immense  forest  belt  of  Siberia.  When  the 
coiuitry  becomes  more  thickly  settled,  as  it  surely  will, 
when  mills  and  factories  and  great  business  blocks  spring 
uj)  in  dozens  of  towns  and  cities,  as  they  are  certahi  to  do, 
there  is  plenty  of  splendid  building  material  in  the  Siberian 
woods  to  feed  all  the  saw-mills  which  may  be  built.  At 
present  forest  fires  are  sweeping  over  large  areas  of  valuable 
woodland  every  yeai- ;  tall  Siberian  cedars  are  sacrificed 
merely  to  obtain  the  inits,  which  are  eaten  everywhere  in 
the  country ;  lumbei'ing  is  carried  on  with  a  great  waste ; 


SIBERIA  169 

trees  are  felled  to  clear  the  land  for  planting  and  are  left 
to  decay.  This  is  just  what  usually  happens  in  the  early 
history  of  a  country  where  large  areas  are  covered  by  for- 
ests, but  with  the  growth  of  settlements,  the  building  of 
towns  and  cities,  and  the  development  of  manufacturing 
more  careful  methods  begin  to  prevail. 

Ever  since  leaving  the  station  where  the  railroad  branches 
off  to  Tomsk  we  have  been  riding  through  the  great  forest 
belt.  Gradually  we  leave  the  wooded  region  to  the  north 
and  swing  southward  toward  Irkutsk,  the  next  city  at  which 
we  shall  stop.  Our  route  for  a  large  part  of  the  way  across 
Siberia  follows  the  old  post  road  which,  before  the  days  of 
the  railroad,  was  the  main  highway  across  the  country. 
Every  twenty  or  thirt}'^  miles  along  its  entire  length  the 
Russian  government  has  established  postliouses,  where 
travelers  can  get  food  and  lodging  (such  as  it  is)  and 
fresh  horses  to  continue  tlieir  journey.  As  each  relay 
of  horses  travels  only  to  the  next  posthouse,  they  can 
make  such  good  time  that  it  is  possible  to  cover  long 
distances  at  a  fairly  fast  rate  of  s[)eed.  One  can  sleep  ui 
the  sledge,  or  tarantas,  more  comfortably  perhaps  than 
at  the  postliousc,  Avhcre  big  iires  and  tightly  fastened 
windows  make  the  rooms  hot  and  close,  and  where  the 
Ix'ds  are  already  fully  occupied  by  small  but  annoying 
travelers. 

Over  this  post  road,  before  the  building  of  tlie  railroad, 
th(!  mails  were  carried  to  eastern  Siberia;  over  it  have 
trudged  thousands  of  weary  exiles,  each  step  taking  them 
fartlicr  and  farther  from  hoiiu!  and  loscd  ones;  over  it 
gi-oups  (;f  emigi'aiits,  with  their  Hocks  and  licids  ;iiid  their 
wagons  filled  with  all   tlieir  household  possessions,  have 


170  -  ASIA 

moved  toward  ninv  homes  and  new  lives  of  prosperity  in 
tlie  empty  land;  over  it  soft-footed,  tireless  camels  have 
trudged  with  their  heavy  burdens  to  supply  the  people  of 
the  western  workl  with  their  refreshing  cup  of  tea. 

As  railroad  traffic  develops  and  branches  are  built  from 
the  main  line  to  the  north  and  south,  the  old  post  road  will 
lose,  as  it  already  has  to  some  extent,  much  of  its  impor- 
tance. Nearly  all  of  the  long-distance  trade  will  doubtless 
be  carried  by  train,  but  local  traffic  will  still  make  use  of 
the  post  road.  Perhaps  no  other  highway  in  the  world 
can  tell  such  stories  of  cold  and  suffering,  of  drifted  snow 
and  hungry  wolves,  of  weary  travelers  and  lost  hopes,  of 
prisoners  and  exiles,  as  are  familiar  history  in  the  old 
Trans-Siberian  post  road. 

Irkutsk,  one  of  the  most  important  cities  of  Siberia,  is  a 
three  days'  ride  from  Tomsk  across  fertile  valleys  and  open 
plains  and  tln-ough  groves  of  birch  trees  and  deep  forests  of 
evergreens.  On  the  way  we  see  long  caravans  outlined 
against  the  blue  sky  and  catch  glimpses  of  little  log  vil- 
lages in  the  distance.  The  station  platforms  are  crowded 
with  shepherds,  farmers,  miners,  and  hunters,  to  whom  the 
passing  of  the  Trans-Siberian  express  is  the  one  excite- 
ment of  the  day.  Irkutsk  is  the  transfer  station  for  all 
through  traffic  between  Europe  and  eastern  Siberia.  Here 
we  must  leave  the  express,  to  take  a  slower  train  for  the 
rest  of  our  journey.  The  big  waiting  room  is  crowded  with 
people  and  piled  with  baggage,  from  which  peep  out  the 
ends  of  pillows,  the  ever-present  teapot,  and  other  familiar 
household  articles.  All  around  are  white-aproned  porters, 
Cossack  guards,  excited  travelers,  men  bundled  in  warm 
sheepskin  coats,  and  weary  women  -wrapped  m  heavy  shawls. 


SIBERIA  171 

If  we  could  choose  the  time  for  our  visit  to  Irkutsk,  it 
would  be  in  the  winter,  for  the  drive  to  the  city,  several 
miles  away  from  the  station,  would  be  much  pleasanter 
over  the  hard  snow  than  through  fields  of  mud  or  in  clouds 
of  dust.  ''How  beautiful!"  you  exclaim  as  you  catch  your 
first  sight  of  the  city.  And  so  it  is,  from  a  distance.  The 
broad  Angara,  into  which  the  Irkut  River  flows,  sweeps  by 
near  at  hand,  the  numerous  churches  gleam  in  white  and 
gold  and  blue,  and  imposing  stone  and  substantial  brick 
buildings  line  the  streets.  A  nearer  view  discloses  the  fact 
that  Irkutsk,  like  other  Siberian  cities,  is  a  curious  mixture 
of  old  and  new  and  good  and  bad.  Beside  a  splendid  modern 
stone  block  is  a  row  of  log  houses ;  before  the  handsome 
cathedral  is  a  rickety  board  sidewalk ;  in  our  large  electric- 
lighted  room  in  the  hotel  we  find  no  soap,  no  sheets,  and 
no  running  water ;  we  wade  deep  in  mud  when  we  cross 
the  street  to  visit  the  handsome  museum ;  we  spend  the 
evening  in  the  splendid  theater  enjoying  a  really  fine  per- 
formance, and  afterwards  grope  our  way  home  through  the 
wide,  dark  streets.  Like  western  cities,  Irkutsk  has  its  mil- 
lionaire citizens,  though  many  of  these  are  ex-convicts  or 
the  descendants  of  convicts,  and  tlie  amount  of  crime  is 
proportionally  large.  When  we  remember,  however,  that  we 
are  in  the  heart  of  Siberia,  four  thousand  miles  from  any 
large  European  city,  we  wonder  that  the  city  is  as  safe  as 
it  is  and  can  boast  so  many  modern  improvements  as  it  does. 

Irkutsk  is  destined  to  be  a  city  of  importance.  Besides 
being  the  transfer  station  for  all  traffic  between  the  east 
and  the  west,  it  is  a  center  where  several  post  roads  meet. 
In  the  streets  we  meet  caravans  loaded  with  fiber  from 
the  cotton  fields  of  Turkestan,  dark-skinned  Mongols  from 


172  ASIA 

China  with  loads  of  tea,  trappers  with  piles  of  soft  skins 
from  the  Lena  basin,  farmers  with  loads  of  wheat  for  the 
flonr-mills  in  the  city,  drivers  in  warm  sheepskins  with 
their  piles  of  frozen  iisli  from  distant  waters,  and  men  from 
the  mines  in  the  north  with  their  bags  of  precious  gold  dust. 
Everywhere  we  see  something  which  tells  us  what  an  im- 
portant commercial  center  Irkutsk  is. 

At  one  end  of  the  broad  street  that  runs  through  the 
center  of  the  city  is  a  splendid  statue  of  Czar  Alexander 
the  Third ;  at  the  other  end  is  a  large  wooden  arch  which 
bears  tlie  inscription  "  This  way  to  the  great  ocean."  This 
sign  had  pointed  the  way  eastward  for  travelers  on  the 
old  post  road  for  many  years  before  the  laying  of  the  steel 
rails  which  bind  together  Europe  and  eastern  Asia. 

As  we  continue  our  eastward  journey  beyond  Irkutsk 
tlie  landscape  changes.  The  plains  rise  into  hills  and  these 
grow  into  forest-clad  mountains  until,  when  we  reach  Lake 
Baikal,  forty  miles  east  of  Irkutsk,  Ave  are  surrounded  by 
lofty,  snow-clad  ranges. 

Lake  Baikal  is  nearly  twice  as  large  as  Lake  Ontario 
and  is  the  largest  fresh-water  lake  in  Asia.  The  mountain 
scenery  around  is  grand,  its  waters  are  of  crystal  clearness, 
and  an  aljundanee  of  iish  live  in  its  cold  dej)tlis.  At  some 
future  time,  when  Siberia  is  as  thickly  settled  as  the  United 
States  and  has  many  large  cities,  manufacturing  centers,  and 
lines  of  railroads,  this  charming  section  may  become,  like 
many  of  our  lake  and  mountain  regions,  a  popular  summer 
resort,  for  it  certainly  possesses  all  the  natural  features  that 
would  attract  visitors. 

The  rugged,  mountainous  country  around  the  southern 
end  of  Lake  Baikal  made  that  part  of  the  railroad  more 


SIBERIA  173 

difficult  to  construct  than  any  other  portion.  This  section 
was  not  built  for  some  time  after  the  rest  of  the  line  was 
completed,  and  passengers  were  obliged  to  cross  the  lake 
by  boat  in  summer  and  by  sledge  in  winter  to  take  the 
train  on  the  eastern  side.  Can  j^ou  imagine  taking  a  forty- 
mile  drive  on  the  ice,  with  the  thermometer  twent}^  degrees 
or  more  below  zero  ?  The  route  is  marked  out  by  hr  trees 
frozen  into  the  ice,  and  several  post  stations  break  the  long 
drive.  We  almost  wish  that  we  were  obliged  to  go  on  the 
lake  instead  of  in  the  close,  stuffy  car,  but  the  scenery 
through  which  we  pass  is  interesting  enough  to  make  up 
for  the  loss  of  tlie  invigorating  sledge  ride.  We  catch 
glimpses  of  the  curious  villages  of  the  Buriats,  one  of 
the  many  tribes  of  Siberia  who  have  permanent  homes  in 
winter  and  who  in  summer  move  with  their  flocks  and 
herds  where  the  best  pasture  land  is  found.  Their  villages 
are  all  very  similar,  consisthig  of  a  cluster  of  rough  wooden 
huts  surrounded  by  stacks  of  hay  and  corrals  for  the  horses 
and  cattle.  From  time  to  time  we  pass  some  of  their  sum- 
mer homes  —  round,  dark  felt  tents  looking  for  all  the  world 
like  a  coconut  cut  in  halves.  Now  and  then  a  Russian  vil- 
lage with  its  straggling  log  huts  comes  into  view,  and  far- 
ther on  a  Chinese  settlement  with  its  carefully  tilled  fields, 
showing  a  marked  contrast  to  the  careless  farmmg  methods 
of  the  Russian  settlers. 

We  wind  our  way  over  forest-clad  mountains,  across 
narrow  valleys,  beside  rusliing  streams,  and  through  dark 
tunnels.  We  notice  that  we  are  gradually  swinging  south- 
ward, and  on  the  morning  when  we  cross  the  boundary 
into  Manchuria  everything  is  bustle  and  excitement.  Dig- 
nilied   Chinese   officials   board    the    train   to   examine   the 


174 


ASIA 


passports  which  we  carry  and  to  inspect  our  baggage.  About 
three  days  after  crossing  the  border  of  Manchuria  we  reach 
the  city  of  Harbin,  where,  you  remember,  another  raih'oad 
swinsrs  off  southward  to  Port  Artliur  and  Dairen,  while 
the  mam  Hue,  on  which  we  are  to  continue  our  journey, 
stretches  on  to  X'hidivostok  and  the  Pacific  (Jct-an. 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  (54.    This  i.s  the  Tkkmikus  of  the  Longest  Railway 
IN  the  World 


Vladivostok  is  the  termhms  of  the  longest  railroad  in 
the  world.  As  we  alight  from  the  train  our  first  impres- 
sion is  that  we  are  in  a  European  rather  than  in  an  Asiatic 
country,  and  it  is  hard  to  realize  the  truth  of  the  statement 
on  the  sign  which  hangs  above  our  heads,  "  Vladivostok 
from  Petrograd,  9922  versts."  The  Russian  flag  is  flying 
everywhere.  Instead  of  the  frail  little  houses  of  Japan,  the 
narrow,  filthy  streets  of  China,  or  the  mud  huts  of  Korea 


SIBERIA  175 

there  are  rows  of  brick  and  stone  and  stucco  buildings, 
wide  streets,  and  electric  lights.  One-horse  conveyances, 
called  droshkies,  and  some  with  three  horses,  called  troikas, 
go  flying  through  the  streets  in  the  usual  breakneck  Rus- 
sian fashion.  The  outside  horses  in  the  troika  dance  and 
prance  and  gallop,  while  the  middle  one  goes  at  a  swift, 
steady  trot. 

We  should  know  that  we  are  near  Chma  by  the  numbers 
of  Chinese  wheelbarrows  with  their  heavy  loads.  It  would 
be  easy  to  guess  that  Japan  is  not  far  distant,  for  there  are 
many  jinrikishas,  with  coolies  instead  of  horses  between  the 
shafts.  Dirty,  white-robed  Koreans,  blue-bloused  Chinese, 
and  clean  httle  Japanese  are  as  numerous  as  the  Russians, 
and  many  of  the  stores  and  busmess  houses  are  in  the  hands 
of  the  yellow  race. 

From  the  hill  on  the  west  of  the  city  where  some  of  the 
finest  residences  are  situated  we  can  get  a  good  view  of 
the  region.  The  long,  straight  city  streets  lead  to  the  water 
front,  the  reddish-bro\ATi  roads  wind  off  to  the  north  through 
smiling  valleys  and  around  green  wooded  hills,  the  cathe- 
dral gleams  at  our  feet,  and,  more  attractive  than  the  sights 
on  shore,  the  beautiful  blue  landlocked  harbor,  which  has 
made  possible  this  Queen  of  the  East,  as  the  Russians  have 
proudly  named  their  city,  stretches  off  to  the  south.  The 
fine  docks  and  warehouses,  the  vessels  riding  at  anchor, 
the  powerful  ice  breakers,  the  grim  warships,  and  the 
scores  of  smaller  craft  all  tell  of  Russia's  hopes  and 
ambitions  in  regard  to  this  distant  city. 

As  the  outlet  of  eastern  Siberia,  Vladivostok  is  bound 
to  grow.  It  will  keep  pace  with  the  future  development  of 
the  country,  and  how  great  and  how  wonderful  that  will 


176  ASIA 

bo  nobody  ventures  to  predict.  People  to-day  realize  that 
SibtM'ia  is  not  a  barren,  desolate  land  fit  only  for  exile 
prisons  and  it^norant  native  tribes.  It  is  the  Canada  of 
the  East,  and,  like  our  iiorthern  neighbor,  is  rich  in  wheat 
fields,  [pasture  lands,  great  forests,  priceless  furs,  stores 
of  minerals,  and  long  days  of  sunshine.  Sometime  in  the 
future  a  trip  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  from  our  Western 
seaports  to  \'ladivostok  and  Siberia  may  be  as  easy  and 
as  popular  as  a  tour  across  the  Atlantic  to  London  and 
the  British  Isles  is  to-day. 

TOPICS   FOR  STUDY 
I 

1.  The  Trans-Siherian  Railroad. 

2.  Tlie  lh*al  jNIomitains  and  Chelyabinsk. 

3.  The  island  of  Sakhalin. 

4.  Emigration  to  Siberia. 

5.  Siberian  farms  and  villages. 

6.  Tlie  climate  of  Siberia. 

7.  The  tundras. 

8.  The  dairy  industry. 

9.  Traveling  in  Sil)eria. 

10.  Omsk  and  Tomsk. 

11.  Forests  and  furs. 

12.  The  old  post  road. 

13.  Irkutsk,  the  old  capital. 

14.  Lake  Baikal  and  eastern  Siberia. 

15.  Description  of  Vladivostok. 

II 

1.  Sketch  a  map  of  Siberia.  Trace  tlie  Trans-Siberian  Railroad 
and  show  the  most  important  cities  on  it.  Add  Manchuria  to  your 
map  and  trace  on  it  the  railroad  to  Dairen. 

2.  Add  to  your  map  of  Siberia  the  rivers  and  the  surrounding 
waters  and  countries. 


SIBERIA 


177 


3.  Name  any  very  long  railroads  that  you  know  in  the  United 
States ;  in  Canada.  Get  some  folders  at  the  railroad  station  which 
will  show  you  their  routes  and  their  termini.  Show  these  on  an 
outline  map. 

4.  Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  Cape-to-Cairo  Railroad?  Where 
is  it?  Is  it  completed?  What  are  its  termini?  Compare  its  impor- 
tance with  that  of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railroad. 

5.  Choose  sides  to  discuss  the  question  whether  the  ITnited 
States  or  Siberia  is  the  better  fitted  for  a  dairying  country. 

6.  Make  a  list  of  the  ten  longest  rivers  in  the  world.  Locate 
each  one.    How  many  Siberian  rivers  are  included? 

7.  Describe  the  route  by  which  you  would  send  butter  fron) 
Siberia  to  London;  by  which  you  would  send  tea  from  C'liina  to 
< )dessa. 

8.  How  many  tons  of  butter  could  be  sent  yeai'ly  from  Siberia 
by  a  weekly  train  of  fifty  cars,  each  car  having  a  capacity  of  fifty- 
six  thousand  pounds? 


Ill 

Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.   Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chapter. 


China 
Japan 
Korea 
Mauchuria 
Sakhalin 
Ala.ska 
Canada 
United  States 
Denmark 
Germany 
The  tundras 
Ural  Mountains 
Irkut  River 
Tom  River 
Om  River 
Angara  River 
Amur  River 


Lena  River 

Ob  River 

Yenesei  River 

Tobol  River 

Tomsk 

Omsk 

Irkutsk 

Tobolsk 

Chelyabinsk 

Harbin 

Yakutsk 

Dairen 

Vladivostok 

Port  Arthur 

Irbit 

Kiakhta 

Nizhni  Novgorod 


Moscow 

Petrograd 

Reval 

Riga 

London 

Odessa 

Leipzig 

Boston 

San  Francisco 

Caucasus  Mountains 

Mt.  Washington 

Gulf  of  Mexico 

Baltic  Sea 

Lake  Baikal 

Lake  Ontario 


CHAPTER  IX 
CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Our  iioxt  trip  will  be  a  very  interesting  one,  as  it  will 
take  us  into  the  heart  of  Asia.  In  the  southern  part  of 
that  dry  portion  of  Asia  known  as  the  steppes,  there  is  an 
area  nearly  a  fourth  as  large  as  the  United  States.  This 
territory  has  been  very  largely  under  Russian  influence 
and  part  of  it  under  Russian  control.  This  great  region, 
commonly  known  as  Central  Asia,  consists  of  several 
divisions.  The  largest  of  these  is  Turkestan,  a  country 
covering  nearly  three  times  the  area  of  California.  The 
Transcaspian  Province  stretches  westward  from  Turkestan 
to  the  Caspian  Sea,  while,  wedged  in  between  these 
territories  and  Persia  and  Afghanistan,  lie  Khiva  and 
Bokhara,  of  which  you  will  read  in  this  chapter.  These 
are  very  ancient  and  very  interesting  lands.  The  borders 
of  these  little-known  regions  reach  far  toward  the  south 
to  M-itliin  five  hundred  miles  of  the  warm  Avaters  of 
the    Persian    Gulf. 

Notice  on  the  map  the  line  which  starts  from  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  extends  through  the  Trans- 
caspian Province  near  the  northern  border  of  Persia  and 
Afghanistan,  and  through  Bokhara  and  Turkestan.  That 
Hne  marks  the  Central  Asian  Railroad,  on  which  we  shall 
travel  for  some  time.  We  shall  find  the  trip  by  rail  much 
easier  than   the    long,   slow  caravan    journey,   which  not 

178 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  179 

many  ye&TS  ago  was  tlie  only  means  by  which  one  could 
get  into  this  little-known  part  of  the  continent. 

Remember  as  you  look  at  the  map  of  Asia  that  immense 
distances  are  represented  there.  This  railroad,  which  looks 
so  short,  is  m  reality  more  than  twelve  hundred  miles  long. 
It  would  stretch  in  a  straight  line  entirely  across  the  United 
States  from  the  Canadian  border  to  the  Gulf  of  ]\Iexico. 
It  gives  to  Russia  great  advantages  in  Asia  over  any  other 
European  nation.  It  enables  her  to  put  her  soldiers  into 
an}'  one  of  the  Central  Asian  regions  at  short  notice,  and 
not  only  her  soldiers  but  her  products  and  manufactures 
as  well.  To-day  nearly  all  of  the  (commerce  of  Central 
Asia  is  carried  on  with  Russia,  always  exceptmg  the  tea 
trade,  which  is  controlled  by  the  Chmese. 

Many  people  thmk,  however,  that  when  Russia  was 
building  the  Central  Asian  Railroad  she  was  thinkmg 
not  so  much  of  her  increased  commerce,  and  of  future 
revolutions  m  any  part  of  her  own  territory,  as  of  the 
ease  and  quickness  with  which  she  could  transport  her 
soldiers  to  the  Indian  l)order.  Tibet  is  not  the  only  coun- 
try on  the  borders  of  India  across  which  England  is  watch- 
ing the  movements  of  the  slow,  cautious,  but  powerful 
Russian  bear.  The  easiest  approach  to  India  is  from  the 
northwest,  through  Afghanistan,  and  England  has  noted 
^\■ith  much  anxiety  the  approach  of  Russia  nearer  and 
nearer  to  this  boundary  line. 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  secret  railroad  ?  On  tlie  map 
you  will  find  such  a  line  which  Russia  has  l)uilt  for  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  from  Merv  southward  to  the  border 
of  vVfghanistan.  This  road  runs  for  the  entire  distance 
through  a  desert  region,  wliere  no  hidustries  and  no  towjus 


180  ASIA 

are  served  by  it.  No  forcioner  lias  ever  traveled  on  it,  and 
no  freight  is  carried  on  it  except  arms,  anmuuiition,  pro- 
visions for  soldiers,  materials  for  barracks,  and  railway 
irons  and  ties.  What  else  can  snch  a  road  mean  except  to 
enable  Russia  to  rush  her  soldiers  tlu-ough  to  India  in  case 
of  trouble  with  England  ?  It  seems  a  pity  that  nations 
should  lind  it  necessaiy  to  go  to  such  expense  in  order  to 
be  ready  to  kill  j)copk'.  Tliink  Imw  much  mon;  this  rail- 
way line  would  serve  the  world  if  it  were  continued  through 
Afghanistan  and  India  to  the  great  city  of  Calcutta,  and 
were  open  to  freight  and  passengers.  •Sometime,  doubtless, 
in  a  future  era  of  international  peace,  this  will  be  done, 
and  travelers  can  take  a  railway  trip  from  London  to  Cal- 
cutta as  easily  and  safely  as  they  now  go  from  New  York 
to  San  Francisco. 

You  doubtless  think  that  if  you  have  packed  the  things 
you  will  need  on  your  journey,  and  have  money  for  your 
expenses,  you  have  made  all  the  preparations  which  are 
necessary  for  your  trip  tlirough  Central  Asia.  Not  so.  If 
that  is  all  you  have  done,  you  will  not  be  able  even  to 
start  on  your  journey,  as  no  foreigner  rides  on  any  part  of 
the  Central  Asian  Railroad  unless  he  has  permission  from 
head(juarters.  We  must  ask  the  American  ambassador  to 
obtain  for  us  at  Petrograd  a  document  that  we  can  show 
to  officials  along  the  route.  Every  courtesy  will  then  be 
shown  us  as  long  as  we  travel  on  just  the  route  described 
in  our  passport,  but  we  shall  be  allowed  no  side  trips  to 
any  places  except  those  specified  therein. 

The  railroad  starts  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Caspian 
Sea  at  Krasnovodsk,  which  one  can  reach  from  Europe 
by  different  routes.     The  easiest  one,  perhaps,  is  to   saii 


CEXTEAL  ASIA  AXD  ITS  PEOPLE 


181 


from  Constantinople  across  the  Black  Sea  to  Batum  at 
its  eastern  end,  where  we  can  take  a  train  for  Baku  on 
the  western  shore  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  The  route  into 
Asia  which  we  shall  enjoy  the  most,  however,  is  by  auto- 
mobile from  southeastern  Russia  to  Tiflis,  on  what  is  per- 
haps the  grandest  ride  in  the  world.   It  takes  us  over  the 


Fig.  65.    A  Splendid  Highway  winds  higher  and  higher  over 
THE  Caucasus  Mountains 

Dariel  Pass  in  the  Caucasus  Mountains.  Automobiles  have 
taken  the  place  of  the  slower  wagons  and  caravans  by 
which  people  formerly  made  tlic  journey,  and  it  will  pi'ol)- 
al^ly  be  only  a  few  years  before  people  can  travel  over  the 
pass  in  a  railroad  train.  A  splendid  liighway  winds 'higher 
and  higher  beside  a  ru.shing,  dashing,  foaming  river;  it 
zigzags  up  steep  slopes  with  lofty,  snow-capped  peaks 
towering  into  the  sky  on   one  side   and  a  narrow,  dark 


182  ASIA 

chasm  five  thousand  feet  deep  on  the  other.  As  we  mount, 
the  cliffs  gro^y  more  and  more  vertical  and  the  gorge  nai- 
rowcr  and  darker  until,  at  the  summit  of  the  pass,  we  glide 
silently  into  the  world-famed  gorge  of  Dariel,  the  gate- 
way of  Europe. 

From  the  time,  ages  ago,  when  our  Aryan  ancestors  left 
their  homes  and  hearth  fires  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Hindu  Kush  Mountains,  to  find  new  dwellhigs  in  lands 
farther  west,  many  of  the  migrating  peoples  who  have 
spread  from  Asia  westward  have  come  through  this  door 
in  the  great  wall  of  the  Caucasus.  Through  it  also,  in  the 
opposite  direction,  the  Russian  army  went  to  mvade  the 
land  beyond  and  to  bring  it  under  the  czar's  control. 
None  of  these  people  traveled  by  automobile,  as  we  are 
doing ;  neither  did  they  have  the  fine  highway  which  now 
winds  over  tlie  mountains,  but  step  by  step,  fighting  their 
way  through  blinding  snow  and  chillmg  winds,  they  made 
their  toilsome  passage. 

In  our  journey  over  the  Caucasus  we  meet  neither  mi- 
grating peoples  nor  haughty  conquerors.  We  see,  instead, 
immense  flocks  of  sheep,  which  fill  the  road  and  block  our 
passage  and  stream  along  the  highway  as  far  as  we  can 
see,  like  a  white,  frothing  river.  In  the  spring  the  panting 
thousands  toil  upward  to  the  high  pastures,  where  they 
feed  for  the  summer ;  in  the  autumn  they  come  running 
down  the  zigzag  road  to  their  winter  shelters  in  the  villages 
on  the  lower  plains. 

We-  pass  the  Russian  fort  built  near  the  entrance  of  the 
gorge,  the  long  snow  sheds  that  protect  the  post  wagon 
which  carries  the  European  mail  to  Tiflis,  and,  a  little 
farther  on,  the  dark  stone  cross  which  marks  the  summit 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  183 

of  the  pass  nearly  eight  thousand  feet  high.  Then  begins 
the  dash  do^\^l  the  steep  slope  into  the  southern  valleys. 
On  our  way  we  pass  groves  of  dark  pines,  green  fields  of 
wheat  and  corn,  and  quamt,  flat-roofed  villages  nestlmg 
in  sheltered  spots  on  the  mountain  sides,  where  the  land 
is  so  steep  that  the  inhabitants  are  said  never  to  step  on 
level  ground, 

Tiflis,  where  we  leave  our  automobile  and  take  the  train, 
is  the  capital  of  Georgia,  one  of  the  small  republics  just 
south  of  the  Caucasus  INIountains.  This  city,  as  large  as 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  is  halfway  between  the  Black  and 
Caspian  seas,  at  the  crossroads  of  routes  leading  north 
and  south  and  east  and  west,  and  is  the  terminus  of  the 
great  military  road  over  the  mountains  by  wliicli  we  have 
just  come.  The  city  is  a  combmation  of  Europe  and  Asia, 
of  the  Occident  and  the  Orient.  The  European  in  broad- 
cloth rubs  shoulders  with  the  sheepskin-clad  dweller  of 
the  mountams.  There  are  winding  alleys  lined  with  native 
huts  and  crowded  bazaars,  and  broad  streets  bordered  with 
fine  houses  and  large  shops.  In  Tiflis,  as  hi  other  cities 
which  have  become  a  part  of  the  Russian  possessions,  the 
native  quarter  and  the  foreign  section  differ  as  much  as 
an  automobile  does  from  the  "  one-hoss  shay."  The  modern 
Russian  city  has  wide,  well-paved  streets,  electric  cars  and 
liglits,  rubber-tired  carriages,  fine  business  blocks,  and  ex- 
cellent shops.  A  ten  minutes'  ride  from  all  this  brings  us 
to  a  different  world.  In  the  Russian  city  everything  was 
like  Europe  ;  in  the  native  city,  centuries  old,  everything 
is  Asiatic.  Here  are  the  narrow,  dirty  streets  and  the  low 
houses  with  bare,  closed  fronts  on  the  street  side,  showing 
nothing  of  the  life  within.    Here  also,  as  in  all  Asiatic 


184  ASIA 

cities,  the  bazaar,  or  market  place,  is  the  center  of  interest 
and  is  crowded  with  people.  What  a  noise  and  confusion  I 
Have  we  found  the  Tower  of  IJahcl  of  which  the  Bible 
speaks,  where  everyone  used  a  dirfcrcul  langua<Tc  ?  It  cer- 
tainly seems  so,  for  each  person  appears  to  be  jabbering  in 
a  different  tongue,  and  we  can  easily  Ix^licve  the  statement 
tluit  more  than  sc\cnty  languages  arc  spoken  in  Tiilis.  liook 
at  the  people  and  their  (jueer  costumes  !  We  pass  tall,  dark, 
dignified  Gcoi-gians  in  black  sheepskin  hats,  Persians  with 
iiats  of  astrakhan  fur,  Armenians  with  flat,  close  caps,  and 
people  fi'oin  iJol^liarii  with  full  while  tnrl)ans.  There  are 
re[)resentatives  of  desert  tribes  with  long,  loose;  cloaks  float- 
ing gayly  out  behind  ;  mysterious  veiled  women  ;  and  un- 
veiled Georgian  beauties  with  large,  dark  eyes,  black  hair, 
and  clear  complexions. 

What  should  you  like  to  bny  in  the  bazaar?  We  shall 
lind  in  the  shops  in  one  street  rich  old  rugs  woven  by 
hand  in  the  tents  of  some  wandering  Tartar  tribe;  in 
another  alley,  some  eastern  [X'l'fumes  warranted  to  last 
forever ;  in  a  third,  silks  as  brilliant  as  the  autumn  foliage 
of  New  England.  In  the  street  where  jewelry  and  gems 
are  sold  there  are  turquoises  blue  as  the  skies,  blood-red 
rubies,  and  gleaming  pearls.  AVorkmen  clutter  the  streets, 
beggars  display  their  infirmities,  and  buyers  argue  over 
prices  in  loud,  excited  voices.  What  is  that  coming  up  the 
street  ?  It  looks  like  a  cartload  of  the  fattest  oxen  we 
have  ever  seen.  They  are  not  oxen,  but  ox  skins  filled 
with  wine.  The  head  and  feet  are  cut  off,  and  the  whole 
skin  is  used  as  a  wine  cask.  There  is  a  man  who  wishes  to 
buy  a  drink.  The  dri\jcr  unties  the  cord  around  one  of  the 
legs  and  the  wine  bubbles  out  into  the  cup.    In  Eastern 


CENTKAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


185 


countries  wine  and  water  are  often  carried  in  skins,  but 
these  are  the  largest  and  queerest  we  have  ever  seen. 

We  must  not  hnger  m  Tiflis,  however,  as  a  long  journey 
lies  before  us,  and  Baku,  our  next  stopping  place,  is  still 
more  than  three  hundred  miles  away.  Baku  is  a  very  dif- 
ferent city  from  the  one  we  have  left.    As  we  approach. 


Flu.  66.    Sometimes  the  Oil  Wells  get  on  Fire  and  bikn  for  a 
Long  Time 


WO  see,  dotting  the  landsc;ape  for  miles  around,  black 
wooden  towers  looking,  as  one  writer  has  said,  like  enor- 
mous gravestones  in  a  cemetery  of  giants.  These  are  the 
oil  wells  for  which  the  region  is  famous.  Oil  is  every- 
where, deep  in  the  secret  places  of  the  earth,  filling  the 
pipes  with  wliicli  the  district  is  tunneled,  floating  <»n  th(! 
iiurface  of  the  sea,  roaring  in  the  engines  of  trains  and 
steamers,  ami  stored  in  great  black  tank-boats  on  the 
Caspian.    These  will  steam  northward  to  Astrakhan,  and 


186  ASIA 

from  there  the  oil  will  be  distributed  throughout  Russia. 
Great  pipes  are  laid  to  carry  oil  from  the  region  around 
Baku  to  Batuui  on  the  lilack  Sea,  six  hundred  miles 
away.  Tank-boats,  run  by  oil  and  loaded  with  oil,  carry 
the  product  to  Odessa,  which,  lilce  Astrakhan,  is  an  im- 
portant distributing  center  for  Russian  petroleum.  We 
remember  seeing,  as  we  came  from  Tiflis  to  Baku,  a  large 
pipe  extendmg  alongside  the  track.  The  oil  which  it  car- 
ried furnished  the  fuel  for  our  engine,  and  consequently 
we  were  not  troubled  by  smoke  and  cinders  on  the  trip. 
The  district  around  Baku  is  one  of  the  most  important 
oil-producing  areas  in  the  world.  Of  late  years  some  of 
the  wells  have  not  produced  so  freely  as  formerly,  and 
many  people  predict  that  the  supply  of  oil  in  the  vicinity 
will  soon  be  exhausted.  Rich  wells  are  being  bored  nearer 
tlie  Black  Sea,  where  the  cost  of  getting  the  oil  to  Batum 
and  Odessa  will  Ije  nmch  less. 

Thousands  of  years  ago  Persian  fire  worshipers  used  to 
come  to  the  Baku  region  to  worship  a  sacred  fire,  which, 
by  a  wonderful  miracle,  as  they  thought,  burned  continu- 
ously without  fuel.  We  know  to-day  that  it  was  fed  by 
the  oil  with  which  the  place  abounds.  The  formation  of 
this  important  product,  its  abundance,  and  its  usefulness 
in  the  industrial  world  are  marvels  as  great  as  that  before 
which  the  ancient  Persians  worshiped.  What  would  manu- 
facturing establishments  do  without  petroleum,  gasoline, 
kerosene,  vaseline,  dyes,  and  other  valuable  products  for 
which  we  are  indebted  chiefly  to  the  oil  regions  of  the 
world  ? 

The  United  States  ranks  first  as  an  oil-producing  coun- 
try, and  tlie  Standard  Oil  Company,  which  controls  most  of 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  187 

the  product,  is  known  all  over  the  world  and  sends  oil 
from  the  United  States  to  many  foreign  countries.  We 
can  afford  to  supply  other  nations  with  oil,  as  our  annual 
production  is  so  immense  that  the  barrels  which  would  be 
required  to  hold  it,  if  placed  end  to  end,  would  reach 
several  times  around  the  earth  at  the  equator.  Mexico  and 
Russia  are  the  next  largest  producers  of  this  article, 
which  is  becoming  more  and  more  useful  as  the  years  go 
by.  In  many  other  countries  there  are  important  oil  fields, 
but  their  production  is  small  compared  with  the  immense 
amounts  yielded  by  the  United  States,  Mexico,  and  Russia. 

We  are  glad  to  leave  Baku,  as  the  city  is  one  of  the 
most  disagreeable  we  have  ever  seen.  It  has  splendid 
buildmgs,  fine  stores,  electric  lights  and  cars,  and  many 
other  modern  conveniences,  but  there  are  no  shady  parks 
or  splashing  fountains,  few  shrubs  and  trees,  and  no  green 
grass.  Oil  is  in  the  streets  and  on  the  buildings  ;  the  people 
smell  of  it  and  the  water  tastes  of  it.  There  is  no  good 
drinking  water  in  the  city.  All  that  is  used  for  drinking, 
w^ashing,  cooking,  and  all  other  purposes  is  distilled  from 
the  waters  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  As  we  take  the  boat  to 
continue  our  journey  we  sail  for  some  distance  through 
a  scum  of  oiL  In  providing  fresh  water  for  the  people  the 
oil  must  be  got  rid  of  as  well  as  the  salt. 

The  Caspian  Sea  is  nearly  twice  as  large  as  our  li\'o 
Great  Lakes.  They  are  fresh-water  lakes,  you  remember, 
while  the  Caspian  Sea  is  salt,  a  remnant  of  the  old  ocean 
M  Inch  ages  ago  separated  Europe  and  Africa  and  stretched 
in  a  northeasterly  direction  through  western  Asia  to  the 
Arctic  Ocean.  The  Aral  Sea  is  a  still  smaller  remnant, 
and  the  Ob  River  now  flows  where  once  the  salt  waters  of 


188  ASIA 

tlu'  old  ocean  lay.  If  llie  land  in  these  regions  should  sink 
a  low  hundred  feet,  a  continuous  waterway  would  again 
connect  the  Atlantic  and  Arctic  oceans.  Several  hundred 
thousand  tons  of  salt  are  taken  annually  from  the  waters 
of  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  the  soil  around  it  is  so  iillcd  Avith 
salt  as  to  be  unfit  for  cultivation. 

It  is  a  twenty-hours'  sail  in  fine  weather  from  Baku  to 
Krasnovodsk,  our  laudini;'  place.  We  sail  in  a  Russian 
boat,  as  no  others  are  allowed  on  this  great  inland  sea. 
On  the  steamer  there  are  all  classes  of  people  —  Russians, 
Armenians,  Turks,  Persians,  Tartars,  Afghans,  and  many 
othei-s.  Few  of  these  occupy  cabins  or  visit  the  dining 
room,  as  most  of  them  have  brought  their  own  blankets, 
pillows,  and  food,  and  camp  on  the  decks  in  true  Eastern 
fashion. 

When  we  land  at  Krasnovodsk,  the  Russian  official  eyes 
us  rather  closely  as  we  hand  him  our  passports.  In  travel- 
ing in  any  Russian  territory  one  feels  the  force  of  the 
couplet. 

Be  silent;  keep  yourselves  in  curb, 
We  are  watcslied  in  look  and  word. 

With  the  freedom  of  travel  in  our  country,  with  for- 
eigners constantly  coming  and  going  in  our  great  cities,  it 
seems  queer  to  us  to  be  in  a  place  where  no  foreigner  lands 
without  permission.  Our  documents  prove  satisfactory,  how- 
ever, and  as  some  hours  elapse  before  our  train  starts  for 
the  East,  we  set  out  to  explore  the  town. 

Before  we  started  on  our  Central  Asian  trip  we  had 
never  lieard  of  Krasnovodsk  ;  it  is  a  place  of  only  a  few 
thousand  people,  half  of  whom  are  soldiers ;  it  is  situated 
on  the  l)orders  of  one  of  the  greatest  desert  areas  in  the 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  189 

world,  yet  from  the  amount  of  freight  piled  on  the 
wharves  we  should  think  that  we  were  in  some  large 
Western  city.  There  are  hundreds  of  bales  of  cotton  from 
the  fields  of  Turkestan,  waiting  to  be  taken  across  the 
Caspian  Sea  to  Astrakhan  and  thence  up  the  Volga  River 
to  the  mills  of  Moscow ;  there  are  silks  and  furs  and  skins 
to  be  sent  to  London,  Leipzig,  and  across  the  ocean  to 
New  York  City.  Cotton,  furs,  skins,  rugs,  and  silk  are 
important  exports  from  Central  Asia,  but  immense  quan- 
tities of  goods  must  be  brought  into  this  desert  land, 
for  its  inliabitants  make  very  few  things  for  themselves. 
There  are  piles  of  railroad  ties  and  rails,  boxes  of  cotton 
goods,  liarrels  of  sugar  and  coffee,  tools,  furniture,  and 
other  necessities  of  life  for  the  millions  of  people  who 
live  in  the  heart  of  this  immense  continent.  The  Russians 
have  made  them  acquainted  with  many  new  wants,  and 
the  Russian  railroad  is  the  chief  means  by  which  these 
can  be  supplied. 

Leaving  the  wharves,  we  go  for  a  walk  through  the 
town.  What  a  dreary  place  it  is !  Not  a  bit  of  green  grass 
relieves  the  gray-brown,  barren  earth.  Little  one-story 
liouses  of  sun-dried  brick  stand  on  either  side  of  a  wide, 
dusty  street.  Perhaps  to  make  up  for  the  lack  of  color  in 
tiie  landscape,  the  buildings  are  painted  in  vivid  hues  — 
blight  Ijlues,  reds,  greens,  and  yellows.  Instead  of  the 
mili<man  going  from  house  to  house,  it  is  tlie  waterman 
wliom  we  see  in  the  streets.  As  in  Raku,  tliere  is  no  fresh 
wat(M-  in  the  town  except  what  is  distilled  fi'om  tlie  ('as- 
j)ian  Sea.  Tlie  distilleries  which  fiiriiish  watci'  for  the  in- 
liaV)itants  also  sup{)ly  the  trains  on  thcii-  long  trip  through 
the  desert,  as  well  as  the  stations  on  the  way.    Indetid,  it 


190  ASIA 

has  been  said  that  the  trains  on  the  Central  Asian  Railroad 
carry  more  water  than  anything  else. 

Just  look  at  the  railroad  station.  It  is  a  large,  beautiful 
stone  structure,  nnich  liner  than  many  of  our  cities  can 
boast.  Our  train  leaves  in  the  early  evening,  and  from  the 
crowd  gathered  at  the  station  we  should  think  that  every 
one  in  the  town  had  come  to  see  us  off.  Uniformed  officers, 
(lirt\'  soldiers,  and  jabbering  porters  crowd  the  platform. 
At  last,  after  much  whistling  and  ringing  of  the  bell,  we 
are  finally  eastward  bound  on  our  journey  of  more  than 
twelve  hundred  miles.  It  is  growing  dark  outside  ;  the  car 
is  not  lighted  well  enough  for  us  to  read;  the  slow,  steady 
motion  of  the  tram  makes  us  sleepy ;  so  we  make  up  our 
beds  with  blankets  which  we  have  brought  with  us,  and 
sleep  soundly  until  morning. 

Wlien  we  awake,  the  first  thing  we  do  is  to  look  out  of 
the  window  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  country  through  which 
we  are  passing.  As  far  as  we  can  see,  the  bare  brown 
earth  stretches  away  to  meet  the  sky — no  trees,  no  grass, 
no  shadows,  no  houses,  no  animals,  no  people ;  but  far 
away  on  the  desert  a  long  caravan  of  camels  is  slowly 
winding  its  way.  Hour  after  hour  the  same  dreary,  unin- 
teresting, desolate  country  stretches  beside  us.  Nothing 
breaks  the  monotony  except,  every  few  miles,  the  little 
stations  along  the  railroad.  At  each  of  these  lives  a  station 
master  with  his  family.  They  have  no  neighbors  nearer 
than  those  who  live  at  the  stations  on  either  side.  Each 
one  has  a  storehouse  near  his  little  low  dwelling,  a  well 
with  a  clump  of  trees  around  it,  and  a  few  cattle. 

After  I'iding  for  hours  through  the  dreary,  uninteresting 
country  we  begm  to  see  small  patches  of  grass  and  a  few 


CEISTTKAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  191 

trees.  Soon  these  green  spots  grow  larger,  and  we  see 
cultivated  land  and  catch  a  glimpse  of  some  long-cloaked 
farmers  working  in  the  fields.  There  is  a  camel  drawing 
a  plow,  and  a  little  baby  camel  trotting  awkwardly  along 
beside  its  mother.  Some  of  the  men  are  plowing  with 
oxen,  others  with  a  pair  of  camels,  while  still  others  have 
harnessed  a  camel  and  an  ox  together.  Flocks  of  sheep 
and   droves   of    camels   and  horses   are   feedmg  near  by. 


Fig.  67.    On  the  Desert  a  Long  Caravan  of  Camels  is  slowly 
WINDING  its  Way 

Soon    we   pass   a   village   of   round,    dark   felt   tents,   and 
sliortly  afterward  another  one  of  low  mud  huts. 

Central  Asia  is  a  desert  dotted  with  green  oases  which 
remind  one  of  islands  set  in  the  great  ocean.  Wherever  a 
stream  from  the  mountains  descends  to  the  })lains,  its 
waters  are  made  to  turn  the  desert  into  a  garden.  The 
soil  is  very  fertile,  and  water  is  the  only  thing  needed  to 
make  the  earth  produce  splendid  crops.  To  furnish  different 
settlements  witli  water,  numerous  canals  branch  off  from 
each  river  in  different  parts  of  its  course.    These  divide 


19-2  ASIA 

into  siiiall  ditches  until  the  network  of  waterways  resem- 
bles the  veins  of  a  leaf.  In  any  one  of  these  oases  made  by 
the  life-giving  streams  we  can  stand  in  fields  of  rich  green 
grass,  waving  grain,  or  growing  vegetables,  while  only 
a  few  feet  away  beyond  the  irrigated  area  stretches  the 
brown  desert.  In  the  Transcaspian  Province,  Bokhara, 
and  Turkestan  we  shall  ride  hour  after  hour  and  day  after 
day  through  long  stretches  of  the  barren,  desolate  wastes, 
where  no  sign  of  hfe  appears  save  perhaps  a  line  of  camels 
outlined  against  the  distant  sky. 

As  our  train  craw^ls  slowly  along  over  the  dreary,  empty 
plain  it  seems  impossible  to  realize  that  in  this  region  ages 
ago  lived  those  early  people  from  whom  the  great  nations 
of  Europe  have  sprung.  In  the  most  desolate  parts  of  the 
Central  Asian  desert,  where  to-day  no  water  flows  and  no 
life  is  found,  there  are  ruins  (sometimes  buried  deep  in  the 
sand)  of  large  cities,  beautiful  temples,  irrigating  canals,  and 
other  evidences  of  life  and  its  varied  activities.  What 
became  of  the  people,  what  happened  to  the  rivers  which 
once  made  these  centers  of  population  possible,  what  caused 
the  water  supply  to  cease,  there  is  nothing  as  yet  discovered 
to  tell  us,  and  scientists  who  have  explored  the  region  are 
not  agreed  upon  the  answer. 

These  dead  cities,  however,  are  not  the  only  ones  in  the 
Central  Asian  deserts ;  there  are  living  ones  as  well  — 
cities  which  have  existed  for  centuries  as  centers  of  life  and 
commerce.  These  are  situated  at  the  crossroads  of  trade 
routes  or  at  advantageous  places  on  the  few  large  rivers 
which  find  their  way  across  the  sands.  The  first  of  these 
cities  at  which  we  shall  stop  is  ]\Terv,  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  Transcaspian  Province.  This  city,  once  called  the 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AXD  ITS  PEOPLE  193 

Queen  of  the  World,  of  wliicli  historians  have  written  and 
poets  have  sung,  is  now  only  a  small  town.  Not  far  away, 
twenty  to  thirty  square  miles  of  ruins  —  half -destroyed  col- 
umns, remains  of  temples,  and  roofless  walls  —  testify  to 
the  size  and  importance  of  the  ancient  cities  which  have 
existed  here,  and  which,  one  after  another,  have  been 
destroyed  by  invading  armies  from  tlie  east  and  west. 

The  oasis  on  which  Merv  is  located  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  fertile  in  Central  Asia,  covering  some  hundred 
square  miles.  The  city  stands  at  the  meeting  place  of  old 
caravan  routes,  some  leading  east  and  west  and  others 
north  and  south.  Here  in  early  times  traders  from  China 
and  Japan,  with  their  treasures  of  silks,  spices,  and  pearls, 
met  merchants  from  Europe,  who  would  venture  no  farther 
eastward  over  the  trackless  wastes.  Here  Alexander  the 
Great  built  a  splendid  city  on  the  ruins  of  the  one  which 
he  destroyed.  Here  the  hordes  of  Mongol  warriors  from 
the  east  and  the  swarms  of  Tartars  from  the  north  perished 
by  thousands  in  storming  the  city.  Here  again  it  is  not 
impossible  that  armies  may  gather,  for  you  remember  that 
it  is  at  ]\Ierv  that  the  secret  railroad  of  the  Russians  starts 
toward  the  border  of  Afghanistan. 

Do  you  not  hope  that  through  some  form  of  agreement 
among  the  different  nations  the  people  who  are  living  in 
the  world  to-day  may  prevent  further  war  and  suffering  ? 
Tlien  each  nation  may  live  and  work  happily  for  its  own 
comfort  and  for  tlie  welfare  of  the  world. 

Our  next  stop  is  at  Bokhara,  two  hundred  miles  away 
in  the  country  of  tlie  same  name.  The  whole  country  and 
tlie  regions  roundabout  are  very  ancient  places  and  contain 
magnificent  ruins.    The  city  of  Bokhara  is  an  important 


194 


ASIA 


jMohaninieddn  center.     Around   it  stretcli  its  mud  walls, 

more  than  twenty  feet  high.    In  the  center  is  the  palace 

*  of  the  ruler,  surrounded  by  a  nuich  higher  wall  of  brick. 

Are  you  not  glad  that  people  to-day  do  not  shut  in  their 

cities  and  palaces 
by  high  walls  and 
strong  gates  ? 

Bokhara  is  an  im- 
I)ortant  educational 
center.  It  may  seem 
strange    to    you    to 
.think     of     a     city 
in  the  great  desert 
area  of  Central  Asia 
as  a  center  of  educa- 
tion.   But  Bokhara 
contains  many  col- 
leges    where     hun- 
dreds     and      even 
thousands    of    Mo- 
hammedan    youths 
study      their     holy 
oo.i  4.  r.uierwood  jjQok,     thc     Korau, 
and   other   Moham- 
medan literature,  as 
well  as  different  subjects.     In  the  city  of  Bokhara  there 
are    also    more    than    three    hundred    mosques,    as    the 
churches  of  the  ^Mohammedans  are  called.     Several  times 
a   day   you    can    hear    the    turbaned    officials   far    up   on 
high    balconies   on   the   towers   of   the    mosques   call   the 
faithful  to  prayer. 


©  rude 

Fig.  68.  In  One  Street  the  Men  are 
hammering  copper 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


195 


One  of  the  many  queer  things  about  Bokhara  is  that 
we  may  travel  throughout  its  whole  extent,  and  visit  every 
town  in  the  place,  and  not  once  see  the  face  of  a  woman. 
Bokharans  are  perhaps  the  strictest  Mohammedans  in  the 
world,  and  the  women  are  always  closely  veiled.  A  trip 
through  the  city  of  Bokhara  is  not  very  interesting,  as  the 
houses  present  only  blank  walls  to  the  street  and  all  the 
family  life  goes  on 
in  the  courtyard  at 
the  rear. 

If  we  wish  to  see 
the  people,  the  trade, 
and  the  busy  life  of 
the  city,  we  must 
find  our  way  through 
the  narrow,  crooked 
streets,  with  high 
mud  walls  on  either 
side,  to  the  bazaars, 
which  are  among  the 
largest  in  Central 
Asia.  There  are 
more     than     tliirty 

streets  covered  with  matting  to  keep  out  the  hot  sun- 
shine, and  each  one  is  devoted  to  some  particular  branch 
of  trade.  On  one  the  men  arc  hammering  copper,  and 
the  din  is  almost  deafening;  on  another  we  find  the 
leather  workers;  on  a  third  the  silversmiths  are  at  work 
on  jewelry  and  curious  ornaments.  In  one  narrow  alley 
we  see  cotton  goods  from  Moscow;  in  anoth(u\  samovars 
from  Tula:  while  in  anotlier  theic^  arc  hundreds  of  yards 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  69.    The  Silversmiths  are  at  Work 
ON  Jewelry  and  Curious  Ornaments 


190 


ASIA 


of  lliiii  uuisliiis  IVoiii  Manchester,  England,  wliieli  will  be 
nscd  i'or  lnii)ans.  Tlie  narrow  lanes  are  crowded  with 
loaded  camels,  donkeys  with  bulging  baskets  on  either 
side,  people  on  horseback  who  have  ridden  hi  from  their 

tents  on  the  desert,  and 
men  with  thick  black 
bcai'ds,  ])ig  white  tur- 
l)ans,  and  long,  l)right- 
colored  robes,  bargaining 
at  the  booths.  Here  and 
there  we  see  Bokharan 
women  with  long  gray 
cloaks  and  thick  black 
horsehair  veils,  and  a 
few  unveiled  Russian 
women,  but  their  num> 
ber  is  small  compared 
with  that  of  the  men. 
In  the  center  of  the 
booths,  which  are  so 
small  that  most  of  the 
goods  are  within  easy 
reach,  the  merchants  sit 
cross-legged  on  their 
mats,  undisturbed  by  the 
hubbub  around.  Besides  these  small  retail  shops  there  are 
large  establishments  where  goods  are  sold  at  wholesale.  Let 
us  go  into  one  of  these  khans,  as  they  are  called,  and  see 
what  they  are  like.  From  China,  Afghanistan,  and  India 
immense  quantities  of  goods  come  by  caravan  to  Bokhara — 
tea,  silk,  furs,  skins,  goat's  hair  and  camel's  hair,  rugs,  and  a 


Fic;.  70.    I'koi'i.k  have  riddkx  in  from 
TiiEiH  Tents  on  the  Desert 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


197 


host  of  other  things.  These  are  stored  in  the  khan  to  await 
purchase,  after  which  they  are  sent  to  Moscow  and  other 
Russian  markets.  In  one  khan  is  stored  tea;  in  another, 
silk ;  in  another,  rugs.  The  business  of  the  fatlier  usually 
descends  to  his  sons,  and  the  same  families  have  brought 
their  goods   to  the  same  khans  for  many  years.     Here  is 


Fig.  71.    Hides  and  Skins  are  One  of  the  Important  Products  of 
Central  Asia 

Courtesy  of  Mr.  B.  E.  Baker,  Bostou 

one  where  fur  is  stored.  It  is  tlie  fur  of  a  goat,  l)ut  it  is 
very  soft  and  silky.  We  call  it  astrakhan  l^ecausi;  it  was 
formerly  imported  into  Europe  through  the  Caspian  port 
of  that  name.  There  are  also  piles  of  a  glossy,  curly  fur 
obtained  from  the  lambs  raised  in  Persia ;  hence  its  name, 
Persian  lamb.  The  best  fur  of  this  kind,  however,  comes 
from  Afghanistan,  iiiid  is  calltMl  by  tlic  iialixc  name  kani- 
knl.  It  is  In-ouglit  over  the  desert  to  the  liokiiaran  khans. 
From  there  great  bales  of  it  are  sent  by  the  Central  Asian 


198  ASIA 

Railroad  to  Krasnovodsk,  and  thence  to  the  famous  fan:  at 
Nizhni  Novgorod  and  to  the  annnal  fur  fairs  at  Leipzig 
and  London.  Fur  dealers  from  all  over  the  world  come 
to  these  places  to  buy  their  supply,  and  skillful  workmen 
make  the  skms  into  the  beautiful  garments  which  my  lady 
of  fashion  demands. 

Another  equally  attractive  khan  is  filled  with  Bokharan 
rugs.  Some  of  these  are  so  finely  woven,  so  attractive  in 
color,  and  so  durable  that  people  in  Europe  and  America 
are  willing  to  pay  hundreds  of  dollars  for  one  of  moderate 
size.  These  rugs,  woven  from  the  wool  of  the  flocks,  have 
been  made  in  the  tents  and  mud  huts  of  the  wandering 
tribes  of  Central  Asia.  Each  tribe  makes  only  two  or  three 
different  patterns,  and  these  are  woven  entirely  from  mem- 
ory. Some  of  the  rugs  are  centuries  old.  They  are  handed 
down  from  father  to  son,  and  the  best  of  them  are  sold 
only  at  the  death  of  the  last  members  of  the  family.  The 
dyes  which  are  used  are  chiefly  from  Eastern  plants ;  they 
give  soft,  lustrous  colors  which  are  practically  fadeless. 
Many  of  the  rugs  for  sale  at  the  bazaar  are  cheaper 
ones,  poorer  in  color  and  more  coarsely  woven,  but  there 
are  also  some  so  beautifully  colored,  so  closely  knotted, 
and  so  softened  by  the  years  of  wear  as  to  be  almost 
priceless. 

At  many  of  the  stations  and  at  the  larger  cities  we  have 
noticed  in  greater  and  greater  quantities  as  we  have  come 
farther  east  the  bales  of  cotton  stacked  on  the  platforms. 
The  central  Asiatic  countries,  and  especially  Turkestan,  are 
among  the  greatest  cotton-producing  regions  of  the  world, 
and  cotton  is  at  present  the  chief  export  from  this  part 
of  Asia,     Much  of  it  is  shipped  over  the  Central  Asian 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  199 

Railroad  into  Russia.  Some  of  the  Russian  rulers  have 
been  greatly  interested  in  the  cotton  production  of  Cen- 
tral Asia,  hoping  that  in  the  future  much  of  the  supply 
for  the  great  cotton  mills  of  Moscow  might  be  obtained 
from  this  region. 

All  the  way  through  Turkestan  to  the  terminus  of  the 
railroad  at  Andijan  on  the  Chinese  border  we  are  in  the 
cotton  country.  The  chief  limit  to  its  production  is  water. 
Wherever  that  can  be  obtained,  the  cotton  fields  stretch 
green  and  white ;  wliere  there  is  no  water,  there  lies  the 
vast  brown  desert.  We  feel  more  at  home,  perhaps,  in 
these  cotton  fields  of  Turkestan  than  anywhere  else  in 
Central  Asia,  as  the  seed  that  is  sown  and  the  machmery 
that  is  used  for  ginning  and  for  extracting  the  oil  from  the 
seed  comes  chiefly  from  the  United  States. 

Leaving  Bokhara,  we  finally  reach  Turkestan,  which,  ex- 
cepting Siberia,  is  the  largest  and  the  most  important  of  all 
the  countries  of  Central  Asia.  It  covers  a  territory  nearly 
twice  as  large  as  Montana  and  contains  several  good-sized 
cities  and  many  smaller  towns,  separated  from  one  another 
by  the  great  desert.  Let  us  stop  for  a  little  while  at  one  of 
the  towns.  "^I'hey  are  all  very  mucli  alike,  and  seeing  one 
will  do  as  well  as  visiting  half  a  dozen.  As  we  approach 
we  see,  between  the  narrow  ditches  of  water,  green  liclds 
of  millet,  wlieat,  and  vegetables.  The  walls  around  the 
town  and  around  each  house  are  all  made  of  mud.  All 
tliat  a  settler  in  Turkestan  needs  in  order  to  build  his 
liome  is  some  of  the  soil  around  liim  and  some  of  the 
water  from  one  of  the  ditches.  Witli  liis  ivci  lie  kneads 
these  into  a  smooth  paste,  and  witli  tliis  and  some  straw 
he  fashions  rough  bricks,  which  in  the  hot  sun  become  as 


200 


ASIA 


hard  as  stone.  In  a  dry  country  like  Turkestan  these  last 
very  well,  but  a  few  good  rains  would  leave  little  of  his 
house  standing.  On  either  side  of  the  narrow,  crooked 
alleys  which  serve  as  streets,  nuid  walls  shut  out  from 
tiic  honu's  tlu!  gaze  of  the  curious,  and  the  family  life  is 


Fig. 


XOTHING    HUT    THE    MlD    WaLLS    IS    VISIBLE    ON    ElTHER    SiDE 

OF  THE  Street 


cari'ied  on  ui  privacy  in  the  rear  of  the  houses.  Here  the 
children,  play,  the  men  smoke  their  long  pipes  or  enjoy 
their  daily  nap,  and  the  women  perform  many  of  their 
household  duties.  The  canal  which  is  found  in  every 
courtyard  supplies  the  water  for  washing,  drinking,  and 
cooking,  and  also  for  the  gardens  and  fountains  which 
often  make  the  place  beautiful. 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  201 

Each  house  has  two  courtyards  and  two  sets  of  rooms, 
one  for  the  men  and  one  for  the  women,  and  each  sex 
keeps  strictly  to  its  own  quarters.  Not  even  a  husband 
may  enter  his  wife's  apartments  if  some  shoes  left  outside 
the  door  indicate  that  she  has  callers.  The  men  of  the 
family  entertain  their  company  and  eat  their  meals  in  their 
part  of  the  house,  and  the  ladies  m  their  rooms  do  the 
same.  In  some  of  the  houses,  especially  in  the  cities,  the 
Russians  have  introduced  tallies,  chairs,  beds,  lamps,  and 
other  modern  conveniences,  but  most  of  the  people  live  as 
their  ancestors  have  lived  for  centuries.  The  houses  are 
all  low,  one-story  buildings,  for  in  this  earthquake  region 
these  are  much  safer  than  taller  ones  would  be.  The  floors 
are  covered  with  rugs,  which  vary,  according  to  the  wealth 
of  the  owner,  from  the  finest  oriental  patterns  in  tlie  homes 
of  the  rich  to  coarse  reed  matthigs  in  the  huts  of  the  poor. 

There  is  very  little  furniture  in  the  houses.  The  folded 
(piilts  on  which  the  people  sit  in  the  daytime  are  the  beds 
at  night.  In  a  woman's  apartment  a  trunk  which  has  come 
all  the  way  from  the  fair  at  Nizhni  Novgorod  holds  her 
clothing,  her  long  gray  outer  garment,  her  liigh  leather 
stockings,  her  silken  trousei's,  her  heavy  silver  ])racelets, 
;md  her  coral  chains.  Otlicr  articles,  if  she  has  them,  may 
be  stuffed  into  her  pillow  oi'  liung  on  a  line  stretched  across 
the  room,  which  serves  I'oi'  botli  closet  and  pantiy. 

Some  of  the  food  is  cooked  over  a  pan  of  charcoal  and 
some  in  a  clay  ovi^ii,  which  is  uscmI  in  much  tiu^  sami;  way 
that  our  ancestors  in  New  England  used  their  old-fashioned 
brick  ovens.  The  fuel  is  |)iit  in,  and  the  liic  is  hghted  and 
k(^[)t  burning  until  thc^  oven  is  very  liot  ;  then  tlie  coals 
and  ashes  are  removed,  and  tin;  br(;ad,  made  in  mnnd,  Hat 


202 


ASIA 


cakes,  is  placed  on  the  floor  of  the  oven  or  stuck  onto  the 
sides,  where  it  is  slowly  and  thorougldy  baked. 

The  people  of  Turkestan  live  very  simply,  and  the  prep- 
aration of  their  meals  takes  but  little  time.  A  little  bread 
and  a  few  raisins  or  a  piece  of  a  melon  make  a  satisfactory 
meal,  especially  if  one  is  traveling.  For  a  heartier  diet 
a  mutton  stew  with  ve<;etables  in  it  and  rice  boiled  in  millc 


Fig.  73.   Tin:  Diuvkr  ok  an  .\kaha  sits  on  the  Horse,  with  his  Feet 
ON  THE  Shafts 

Courtesy  of  Mr.  B.  E.  Baker,  Boston 

are  common  dishes.  Sometimes  the  cookuig  is  done  out  of 
doors  over  a  tire  fed  by  cotton  seed  mixed  with  the  waste 
left  after  the  oil  had  been  extra(;ted.  The  people  of  Turke- 
stan manufacture  cottonseed  oil  for  cooking  and  lighting, 
but  they  do  not  export  any  great  amount,  as  it  costs  too 
much  to  transport  it  to  the  markets  of  the  world. 

A  man  niioht  live  in  one  of  these  queer  towns  for  days, 
or  even  for  weeks,  without  meeting  a  woman  in  the  streets, 


CEXTEAL  ASIA  AXD  ITS  PEOPLE 


203 


and  no  matter  how  long  his  stay  might  be  or  how  friendly 
he  might  become  with  the  men  of  the  place,  he  would  never 
see  a  woman's  face.  Some  ladies  never  go  beyond  the  mud 
walls  which  surround  their  homes.  Those  who  do  venture 
into  the  streets  never  go  on  foot.   Ladies  of  the  upper  classes 


Fig.  74.    Sometimes  a  Small  Donkey  carries  Several  Members  of 
THE  Family  ox  his  Back,  One  behind  the  Other 

ride  in  arabas.  These  are  rude  carts  witli  two  \\'lieels  at  least 
six  feet  m  diameter.  The  driver  sits  on  the  horse,  with  his 
feet  on  the  shafts.  In  going  uphill  he  is  obliged  to  stand 
up  and  let  his  whole  weight  rest  on  the  sliafts  iji  order  to 
keep  the  cart  in  a  horizontal  position.  I'he  jjoorer  women 
ride  on  horseback,  each  on  a  pillow  behind  her  Imsband. 
Sometimes  a  donkcv  or  a  liorse  carries  several  nienilu'is  of 
the  family  on  his  back,  one  behind  the  other. 


204 


ASIA 


We  need  not  be  afraid  of  getting  lost  in  a  Turkestan 
town,  for  all  the  winding,  crooked  streets  will  take  us  to 
the  bazaar.    There  is  a  fascination  in  looking  at  the  queer 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  75.    Heavily  Loaded  Camels  pill  the  Narrow  Street 

sights,  and  there  is  no  better  place  in  which  to  get  an  idea 
of  the  life,  the  customs,  and  the  industries  of  the  people. 
See  that  sun-burned  merchant  s(][uatting  among  his  wares. 
On  one  side  of  him  is  a  pile  of  cottonseed  cakes  which  will 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  205 

be  sold  for  camels"  food,  and  on  the  other  some  oddly  shaped 
bottles  molded  from  the  same  material  and  tilled  with  cotton- 
seed oil.  Look  at  the  great  piles  of  cotton  cloth.  The  tiber 
of  which  this  was  made  was  brought  from  far  across  the 
desert  on  camels  loaded  as  heavily  as  those  which  now  fill 
the  narrow  street.  It  was  sent  over  the  ('entral  Asian  Kail- 
road  to  the  mills  of  Moscow  to  be  manufactured,  and  then 
followed  the  same  route  back  to  the  bazaar. 

Let  us  go  into  the  silk  bazaar  and  see  the  gorgeous 
colors  which  are  displayed  there.  We  should  think  them 
almost  too  l)rilli;uit  to  wear,  but  these  Eastern  people  like 
them,  perhu[)s  because  in  the  brown  desert  and  in  their 
nmd-colored  houses  they  have  very  little  else  that  is  bright 
and  attractive.  Next  to  cotton,  silk  is  tlie  most  important 
export  of  Turkestan,  and  many  mulberry  trees  are  grown 
to  furnish  food  for  the  silkworms.  See  those  men  in  that 
little  low  nuul  house,  at  work  on  their  rude  homemade 
looms.  The  cloth  which  they  are  weaving,  though  rough 
and  coarse,  is  firm  and  strong  and  looks  as  if  it  would  wear 
far  longer  than  much  of  the  silk  that  we  buy.  Do  you 
wish  to  purchase  something  m  the  bazaar  ?  You  will  have 
some  difhculty  m  making  a  choice  among  such  a  variety 
of  goods,  for 

"  Here  are  Persian  carpets,  ivory  and  peach  bloom, 
Tints  to  fill  the  heart  of  any  child  of  man, 
Here  are  copper  rose  bowls,  leopard  skins,  emeralds. 
Scarlet  slippers  curly-toed,  and  beads  from  Kordofan. 

"Water  sellers  pass  with  brazen  saucers  tinklinjr; 
Hajjis  in  the  doorways  tell  their  amber  beads; 
Buy  a  lnmj)  of  turcjiioise,  a  sciiuitar,  a  neckerchief 

Worked  with  rose  and  saffron  for  a  lovely  lady's  needs. 


200  ASIA 

"  Here  we  pass  the  gold-smiths,  coiijier,  brass,  and  silver-smiths, 
All  a-claug  aud  jingle,  all  a-glint  aud  gleam  ; 
Here  the  silkeu  webs  hang,  shimmering,  delicate, 
Softrhued  as  an  afterglow  and  melting  as  a  dream. 

"  Buy  a  little  blue  god  brandishing  a  scepter, 
Buy  a  dove  with  coral  feet  and  pearly  breast, 
Buy  some  ostrich  feathers,  silver  shawls,  perfume  jars, 
Buy  a  stick  of  incense  for  the  shrine  that  you  love  best." 


It  seems  queer  to  be  in  a  place  devoted  to  sli()[)piiig' 
and  l)aro-aiiis  and  st'c  no  wonuMi  around.  No  ladies  of  the 
upper  class  and  few  of  any  station  of  life  ever  go  to  a 
bazaar.  Their  husbands  or  other  male  relatives  do  their 
sliopping  for  them,  and  they  drive  as  good  bargains  as  the 
women  possibly  could. 

Tlie  sun  is  nearly  down,  and  we  must  hasten  away,  as 
the  bazaar  closes  at  sunset  and  tlie  merchants  are  already 
beginning  to  put  u[)  tlie  shutters.  The  little  shops  have 
neither  windows  nor  doors.  In  the  daytime  the  whole 
front  is  open,  and  the  merchant  sits  cross-legged  m  the 
midst  of  liis  goods.  Perhaps  you  are  wondering  what  he 
does  in  winter,  for,  though  the  summer  days  are  intensely 
hot,  the  winter  days  are  very  cold.  It  would  make  you 
laugh  to  walk  through  the  bazaar  in  cold  weather.  You 
might  think  that  you  were  walking  through  a  ward  in  a 
hospital.  The  merchants  are  sitting  a  little  farther  back 
in  their  booths  than  in  the  summer  time,  and  each  one  has 
the  lower  part  of  his  body  covered  with  a  heavy  quilt. 
Under  this,  near  his  feet,  is  a  pan  of  charcoal,  and  the  heat 
of  the  glowing  embers  confined  under  the  quilt  keeps  him 
comfortably  warm. 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  207 

Look  at  that  barber  plying  bis  trade  in  the  streets.  Per- 
haps head-shaver  would  be  a  better  name  than  barber,  as 
the  men  never  have  their  beards  cut.  They  keep  their 
heads  closely  shaved  and  covered  with  a  loosely  folded 
turban  of  thin  cloth.  Fashions  change  but  seldom  in  the 
East,  and  these  people  have  worn  the  white  turban,  and 
the  long  robe  with  its  loose  girdle  ever  since  the  time 
of  Mohammed. 

Having  seen  something  of  one  of  the  little  towns  of 
Turkestan,  we  will  now  go  to  one  of  its  great  cities. 
Tashkend,  more  than  eleven  hundred  miles  from  our 
starting  place  at  Krasnovodsk,  is  the  largest  city  of 
Central  Asia.  As  we  ride  from  the  station  we  notice  first 
of  all  the  very  wide  streets  and  the  gurgling  streams  on 
either  side,  which,  though  pleasant  enough  in  the  daytime, 
are  the  homes  of  so  many  frogs  that  sleep  is  impossible 
until  one  gets  used  to  their  noise. 

No  street  could  be  made  too  wide  for  the  crowd  in  an 
Eastern  city.  What  queer-looking  people  they  are !  We 
shall  never  get  used  to  the  wliite  turbans  crowning  the 
dark  faces,  the  loose  robes  and  wide  sashes,  the  bright- 
colored,  close-fitting  caps  and  big  fur  hats,  and  the  shape- 
less gray  cloaks  and  thick  veils  of  the  women.  Look  at 
the  people  on  horseback.  There  goes  a  Russian  otlicer  on 
a  splendid  prancing  horse,  and  here  comes  a  donkey  carry- 
ing a  countryman  with  iiis  two  small  boys  behind  him. 
A  velvet-footed  camel  swings  silently  by  with  two  black- 
bearded  natives  on  its  back,  swaying  as  they  ride.  That 
little  i'ougli-(<)at<'<l  Mongolian  [)ony  looks  altogether  too 
small  for  the  high  cart  to  which  it  is  fastened,  the  wheels 
of  which  are  much  taller  than  its  head. 


208  ASIA 

We  shall  enjoy  our  visit  in  Taslikend  more  tlian  in  most 
Eastern  cities,  as  in  many  ways  it  is  cleaner  and  pleasanter. 
There  are  so  many  trees  on  the  streets  and  in  the  gardens 
that  the  city  seems  like  one  big  grove.  Tashkend  is  fortu- 
nate in  having  plenty  of  water.  The  river  which  supplies 
it  comes  from  the  mountains  thirty  miles  away,  and  the 
melting  snows  keep  it  full  even  in  tlie  hottest,  driest 
months  of  summer. 

See  those  men  watering  the  streets !  They  dip  up  the 
water  in  buckets  from  the  brooks,  and  dash  it  over  the 
road.  Were  it  not  for  this  daily  watering,  the  dust  would 
become  ankle  deep,  as  only  a  little  rain  falls  in  Tashkend, 
and  that  comes  during  the  winter. 

Those  large,  low  bviildings,  almost  liidden  by  the  trees  and 
the  high  walls,  are  barracks  for  the  thousands  of  Russian 
soldiers  who  are  stationed  here.  The  electric  cars  will  take 
us  to  almost  any  place  in  the  city  which  we  wish  to  visit. 
We  prefer  to  ride  rather  than  to  walk,  as  Tashkend  covers 
as  large  an  area  as  the  city  of  Paris.  The  ride  will  not  be 
very  interesting,  however,  as  the  buildings  are  all  of  one 
story,  and  are  so  surrounded  by  high  walls  and  hidden  by 
trees  that  it  is  impossible  to  see  much  of  them.  The  little 
shops  are  open  to  the  street,  but  all  the  business  houses 
are  in  compounds,  as  the  walled  inclosures  are  called.  A 
compound  contains  the  business  office,  the  warehouse,  and 
the  residence  of  the  owner,  together  with  gardens,  groves, 
orchards,  and  irrigating  streams. 

In  the  newer  part  of  the  city  there  are  all  modern  con- 
veniences. Besides  the  electric  cars  there  are  electric  lights, 
telephones,  public  carriages  like  those  at  Petrograd,  fine 
shops  where  everything  is  sold  at  high  prices,  theaters, 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE  209 

moving-picture  houses,  churches,  banks,  cafes,  ckibs,  a  pubhc 
Hbrary,  a  museum,  and  many  fine  residences. 

Tilings  are  very  cUii'erent,  however,  in  the  old  native  city 
of  Tashkend,  though  tliis  is  much  pleasanter  than  most  of 
the  native  cities  of  the  East,  owing  to  the  plentiful  water 
supply  and  the  many  trees.  The  houses  are  built  of  mud 
and  are  pauited  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  The  roofs 
are  made  of  clay  and  sod  thatched  with  reeds.  Seeds  blown' 
by  the  wind  soon  take  root  on  them,  and  many  are  like 
brilliant  gardens.  Can  you  imagine  how  pretty  some  of 
these  streets  must  be,  with  the  low,  brilliantly  colored 
houses  half  concealed  beneath  the  shade  of  a  big  oak  or 
ehn  or  maple  ?  The  roof  gardens,  the  swift-running  water, 
the  dark,  handsome  children,  the  men  dressed  m  brilliant 
colors,  and  the  women  with  their  faces  covered  with  black 
horsehair  veils  make  up  an  interesting  picture  but  a  strange 
one  to  Western  eyes. 

Tashkend  has  one  of  the  largest  bazaars  in  Asia.  Under 
the  mattings  stretched  over  the  streets  to  keep  out  the  fierce 
rays  of  the  sun  are  nearly  five  thousand  booths.  The  shops 
are  similar  to  those  which  we  have  visited  m  other  places, 
so  mstead  of  spendmg  time  there  we  will  go  to  the  schools. 

Should  you  like  to  visit  school  wliile  you  are  in  Central 
Asia?  Yes,  there  are  schools  here  in  Tashkend,  schools 
for  tlie  boys  in  the  more  modern  part  of  the  city  and 
schools  for  the  natives  in  their  quarters.  The  native  schools 
interest  us  more,  because  they  are  so  different  from  ours. 
There  is  nearly  as  much  hubbub  here  as  in  a  Chinese  school, 
as  each  Ijoy  studies  aloud  and  repeats  in  a  sort  of  singsong 
what  he  is  trying  to  Icain.  There  are  no  classes,  but  in- 
stead each  pupil  recites  by  himself.    The  teacher  is  poorly 


210  ASIA 

dressed,  but  he  can  afford  notliing  better,  as  lie  receives 
little  pay  except  what  comes  as  presents  from  the  parents 
of  the  pupils.  In  the  smaller  towns  there  are  no  schools 
for  the  girls,  but  in  Tashkend  and  some  of  the  othc^r  large 
cities  girls'  schools  have  recently  been  started.  School  be- 
gins in  the  early  morning  and  is  held  all  day,  with  a  little 
time  for  the  Inncheon  of  ])read  and  fruit  which  most  of  the 
childi'en  bring  with  (hem.  The  sessions  are  from  Saturday 
morning  till  Thursday  afternoon.  Most  of  these  people,  you 
remember,  are  jNloluunmedans,  and  for  them  Friday  is  the 
day  of  worship. 

Our  trip  over  the  desert  and  oases  and  through  the  cities  of 
Central  Asia  has  been  interesting,  but  tlien^  are  many  parts 
of  the  continent  as  ancient  and  as  interestiiig,  which  as  yet 
we  have  not  seen.  So  we  will  retrace  our  steps  until  we 
are  near  the  northern  boundary  of  Persia,  and  from  that 
point  will  make  a  trip  southward  into  another  waterless 
country. 

TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  Russian  possessions  in  Central  Asia. 

2.  The  Central  Asian  Railroad. 

3.  Preparations  for  our  trip. 

4.  Routes  from  Europe  to  Central  Asia. 

5.  The  Dariel  Pass. 

6.  Transcaucasia  and  the  city  of  Tiflis. 

7.  Baku  and  its  oil  fields. 

8.  The  Caspian  Sea  and  Krasnovodsk. 

9.  The  Central  Asian  desert  and  its  oases. 

10.  The  Transcaspian  Province  and  Merv. 

11.  The  province  and  city  of  Bokhara. 

12.  The  cotton  industry  of  Central  Asia. 

13.  Turkestan  and  Tashkend. 


CENTRAL  ASIA  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


211 


II 

1.  On  a  map  of  Asia  show  Siberia  and  the  countries  of  Central 
Asia.  Indicate  the  chief  cities;  the  two  great  Russian  raih-oads  and 
their  termini. 

2.  Write  a  list  of  the  countries  and  the  imjiortant  cities  passed 
through  in  a  trip  from  INIoscow  to  Andijan. 

3.  Describe  the  route  by  which  oil  is  sent  from  Baku  to  Moscow 
and  Odessa. 

4.  AVhere  in  the  United  States  is  oil  produced? 

5.  AVrite  a  list  of  tlie  reasons  why  you  would  rather  live  in  the 
United  States  than  in  Centi-al  Asia. 


Ill 

Be  able  to  spell  and  jironounce  the  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chapter. 


Siberia 

Transcaspian  Province 

Khiva 

Bokhara 

Transcaucasia 

Turkestan 

Georgia 

Armenia 

Persia 

Afghanistan 

Tibet 

India 

Russia 

China 

California 

Montana 


Ob  River 

Volga  River 

Caspian  Sea 

Black  Sea 

Sea  of  Aral 

Persian  Gulf 

Gidf  of  Mexico 

Caucasus  ^lountains 

Hindu  Kush  Mountains 

Dariel  Pass 

Andijan 

]\Ierv 

Krasnovodsk 

Batum 

Baku 

Tiflis 


Tashkend 

Nizhni  Novgorod 

Paris 

London 

Petrograd 

Astrakhan 

Constantinople 

Odessa 

Moscow 

Leipzig 

Manchester 

Calcutta 

New  York 

San  Francisco 

Atlanta 


CHAl'TER  X 

LTFK  OX   'IIIK    I'LATKAU  OF   IRAN 

Once  uj)()ii  a  linu',  as  a  Persian  story-teller  would  say, 
there  was  a  powei'fiil  kingdom  in  southwestern  Asia.  It 
had  a  strong,  wise  ruler  and  a  large  army,  and  contained 
busy  cities,  great  temples,  and  wonderful  gardens.  Some 
five  hundred  years  before  Christ,  King  Cyrus  had  made 
this  country,  which  you  have  already  guessed  is  l*ersia,  one 
of  the  chief  kingdoms  in  Asia.  After  Ihm  the  great  Darius, 
in  trying  to  extend  his  dominions  westward  into  Europe, 
was  driven  back  on  the  plains  of  Maratlion  by  a  little 
Greek  army  numbering  only  a  fifth  of  the  Persian  hordes. 
Still  later  Xerxes  the  Great  collected  the  largest  army  the 
world  had  ever  seen  —  splendid  fighters  of  Persia  and  of 
many  conquered  tribes.  They  had  defeated  country  after 
country  throughout  Asia,  and  had  annexed  to  the  I'ersian 
Empire  kingdom  after  kingdom ;  yet  Xerxes  and  his  great 
army,  in  trying  to  extend  their  possessions  westward,  were 
repulsed  at  the  celebrated  pass  of  Thermopylae  by  Leonidas 
and  his  little  band  of  three  hundred  brave  soldiers. 

Wars  continued  and  battles  raged  through  many  cen- 
turies. The  country  was  conquered  by  the  Macedonians 
under  Alexander  the  Great;  it  was  overrun  in  turn  by  the 
Arabs,  Mongols,  and  Tartars,  until  to-day  Persia  is  but  a 
shadow  of  the  mighty  kingdom  which  at  one  time  was  the 
most  powerful  in  Asia.   In  our  journey  through  the  country 

212 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  213 

we  shall  see  but  little  of  its  ancient  glory.  Nothing  remains 
to  tell  us  of  its  wonderful  past  except  crumbling  ruins  of 
vast  irrigation  works,  splendid  cities,  immense  palaces,  and 
magnificent  tombs. 

The  people  of  Persia  call  their  country  Iran  and  them- 
selves Irani.  You  will  find  on  your  maps  the  plateau  of 
Iran,  and  you  will  see  that  it  includes  nearly  all  the  region 
between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Indus  river  basins.  Afghan- 
istan, one  of  the  countries  included  in  the  plateau,  is  nearly 
as  large  as  Texas.  It  is  a  bare,  rocky  land  with  snow-capped 
mountains  and  a  few  fertile  valleys,  where  most  of  the 
people  live.  Since  Tibet  has  been  opened  to  strangers 
through  English  efforts,  Afghanistan  is  the  largest  closed 
country  of  the  world.  No  subject  of  any  foreign  nation  is 
allowed  within  its  boundaries  except  by  a  special  permit 
issued  by  the  Ameer.  This  permission  is  not  easy  to  obtain 
unless  the  person  seeking  it  represents  some  firm  with 
whom  the  Ameer  has  business,  or  wishes  to  introduce  some 
goods  in  which  he  is  especially  interested.  In  such  cases 
the  ruler  provides  a  military  escort  and  guarantees  the 
traveler's  safety.  The  full  title  of  the  ruler  of  Afghanistan 
is  ''  Ameer  of  Afghanistan  and  its  Dependencies  and  Li^lit 
of  the  Nation  and  the  Faitli.''  He  and  his  court  are  dressed 
very  mucli  hke  the  peopUi  in  Ww,  United  Slates  and  liave 
many  modcni  interests.  They  play  golf  and  cricket  and 
polo;  in  the  palace  are  American  roll-top  desks,  Ameri(;an 
typewriters,  and  clerks  who  use  American  fountain  pens. 
Though  tliere  are  few  good  roads  in  the  country,  the  Ameer 
does  not  lack  foi'  conveyances.  He  cannot  ride  in  a  lailroad 
train,  for  there  are  no  railroads  in  Afghanistan,  l)ut  he  owns 
more  than  fifty  motor  cars  of  different  kinds,   an  e(pial 


214  ASIA 

nuinlRT  of  t'lcphants,  and  several  beantifnlly  decorated  state 
carriages  given  him  by  the  late  Queen  Victoria. 

The  ruler  and  the  court  live  during  most  of  the  year  at 
Kabul,  ill  a  [)alace  the  grounds  of  which  are  surrounded  by 
barbed-wire  fencing.  The  capital,  about  half  the  size  of 
Kansas  City,  is  located  between  six  and  seven  thousand 
feet  above  sea  level.  The  weather  is  severely  cold  in  win- 
ter, and  for  a  few  months  the  Ameer  and  liis  court  go  to 
Jalalabad,  which,  because  it  is  situated  at  a  lower  level,  is 
not  so  cold  as  Kabul. 

Though  the  Ameer  and  his  court  live  in  a  palace  with 
many  comforts  and  modern  conveniences,  most  of  the 
people  of  Afghanistan  live  in  huts  made  of  sun-baked 
mud  l)ricks.  These  are  covered  with  heavy  mats  made 
of  rushes,  on  which  is  smoothly  spread  a  roof  of  mud 
several  niches  thick.  Inside  the  house  several  shelves, 
also  of  mud,  hold  the  family  possessions.  Though  the 
winters  are  cold,  a  hole  in  the  earth  floor  or  in  the  better 
houses  an  iron  pot  filled  with  charcoal  is  the  only  heating 
apparatus.  Around  this,  during  the  winter,  the  j^eople, 
covered  with  lieavy  quilts,  spend  much  of  their  time. 

The  barren  soil,  the  intense  heat  of  summer,  and  the 
bitter  cold  of  winter  will  forever  keep  Afghanistan  a 
thinly  populated  region.  Its  chief  importance  is  due  to 
its  situation.  It  lies  between  two  centers  of  ancient  civi- 
lization, that  of  India  and  that  of  the  nations  in  the 
Tigris  and  Euphrates  river  basins.  The  trade  routes  con- 
necting these  two  places  run  through  the  mountain  passes 
of  Afghanistan. 

The  easiest  approach  to-day  from  western  Asia  to  India 
is  tlu-ough  Afghanistan.    Herat  and  Kabul,  the  two  chief 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  215 

cities  of  this  country,  are  often  spoken  of  as  the  keys  to 
the  English  possessions  farther  to  the  southeast.  Afghan- 
istan is  to-day  wedged  m  between  the  countries  of 
Central  Asia,  Persia,  and  India,  and  is  for  this  reason 
often  called  a  buffer  state.  Both  Great  Britain  and 
Russia  are  glad  to  have  as  much  influence  as  possible 
with  the  Ameer  of  Afghanistan,  so  that  he  will  make 
no  treaties  with  other  nations  which  are  harmful  to  their 
interests. 

The  territory  shown  on  old  maps  as  Baluchistan  is  now 
included  under  British  possessions.  Few  people  realize  the 
size  of  this  little-known  country.  If  the  British  Isles  were 
placed  on  Baluchistan,  there  would  still  be  room  for  thir- 
teen thousand  square  miles  of  surrounding  sea.  The  num- 
ber of  people  in  Baluchistan  is  considerably  less  than  the 
number  born  in  the  British  Isles  in  a  single  year.  The  city 
of  Quetta,  some  fifty  or  sixty  miles  south  of  the  Afghan- 
istan boundary,  is  the  largest  city  and  is  the  residence  of 
the  British  Agent  who  admmisters  the  government.  Quetta 
is  several  times  as  large  as  Kalat,  which  has  been  described 
in  many  old  geographies  as  the  largest  city. 

Much  of  the  surface  of  Baluchistan  is  a  barren  wilder- 
ness, with  a  very  irregular  and  scanty  rainfall.  All  crops 
depend  on  u-rigation,  but  the  dil'liculty  is  to  find  a  sul'Hcient 
and  convenient  water  supply.  Most  of  the  rivers  are  dried 
up  much  of  the  time,  but  any  rainstorm  will  cause  sudden 
Hoods  that  do  great  damage. 

The  southern  part  of  Baluchistan  consists  of  rugged, 
sunburned  mountains  alternating  with  dry  wastes  and  stony 
plains.  But  as  we  approach  Qu(!tta  we  find  level  Valleys  of 
considerable  size,  where,  l)y  means  o{  irrigation,  rich  crops, 


•210  ASIA 

espt'fiallv  fruits,  are  raised.  Large  quantities  of  fruit  are 
l)i(»ught  also  from  southern  Afghanistan  l)y  camels  and 
(loiikfvs.  Ill  the  inigated  area  around  Quetta  there  are 
orciiards  of  peaeh,  i)ear,  plum,  and  apple  trees,  vhieyards, 
and  melon  })atehes.  The  fruit  exported  from  iialuL-histan 
and  Afghanistan  furnishes  the  chief  freight  for  the  railroad 
into  India,  and  is  known   in  that  eoiuitrv  as  Quetta  fruit. 


Fio.  7tJ.    Most  of  the  So-called  Towns  are  oxly  Groitps  of  Tents 

BELONOING    TO    WaNDERING    TrIUES 

Dining  the  season  a  train  of  ten  or  fifteen  cars  runs  daily 
from  Q(u4ta  for  the  distribution  of  fruit  to  the  leading 
cities  of  India.  The  English  government  has  already  spent 
large  sums  of  money  in  extending  irrigation  and  in  devel- 
oping the  fruit  industry  of  Baluchistan,  and  is  planning  for 
further  outlay  in  the  future. 

There  are  no  really  large  cities  in  Baluchistan,  and  most 
of  the  so-called  towns  are  only  groups  of  black  tents  or 
nnid  huts.  These  are  usually  partitioned  in  the  middle, 
and  the  family  occupy  one  part  and  the  flocks  and  herds 
the  other.   As  you  can  imagine,  these  are  bare,  comfortless 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  217 

homes.  Most  of  the  people  are  nomads  and  move  from  place 
to  place  accordmg  to  the  season  and  the  pasturage.  Some 
of  them  have  httle  patches  of  wheat,  which  is  the  chief 
food  grain  of  the  people,  and  also  small  fields  of  barley  and 
corn.  As  we  pass  through  southern  Baluchistan  we  shall 
see  groves  of  date  palms  on  every  oasis,  and  in  the  season 
we  shall  find  every  person  busy  picking  and  packing  the 
fruit,  which  in  many  places  is  the  sole  crop  raised. 

Persia  is  the  most  important  country  included  in  the 
plateau  of  Iran.  It  is  so  large  that  if  a  map  of  it  were 
laid  on  one  of  the  United  States  made  on  the  same  scale, 
it  would  more  than  cover  the  six  states  of  Washington, 
Oregon,  California,  Nevada,  Arizona,  and  Utah.  It  is  a 
plateau  bordered  by  mountain  ranges.  These  higlilands 
shut  out  the  moisture  from  the  interior,  making,  it  so  dry 
that  it  is  said  tliat  iron  and  steel  will  not  rust  if  left  during 
the  night  in  tlie  open  air.  j\Iost  of  the  rivers  dry  up  in 
summer.  From  Teheran,  the  capital,  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Indus  River,  a  distance  in  a  straight  line  of  more  than  a 
thousand  miles,  there  is  no  river  more  than  two  feet  deep. 
In  nearly  all  parts  of  the  country  irrigation  is  necessary  for 
the  production  of  crops.  Tlie  hot  sun  and  the  dry  air  cause 
such  rapid  evaporation  that  the  water  is  brought  from  the 
hills  in  underground  cliauncls,  which  are  difiicult  both  to 
build  and  to  keep  in  repair. 

If  we  were  going  into  Persia  from  Europe,  our  route 
would  lie  through  Transcaucasia.  On  the  Russian  border 
we  should  find  a  railroad  leading  to  Tabriz,  more  than 
ninety  miles  away.  Much  of  tlie  commerce  of  Persia  is 
carried  on  witli  Russia,  and  Tabriz,  lying  directly  on  tlie 
highway  between  tiic  two  countries,  has  become  the  chief 


L'18 


ASIA 


coninu'rcial  center.  It  is  alxmt  as  large  as  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
JMit  very  dilTcri'iit.  It  has  low  nmd  houses  with  flat  roofs, 
iiairow  and  dirty  streets  idled  with  camels,  mules,  horses, 
porters,  and  carts,  and  the  bazaars  connuou  to  all  Eastern 
cities.  In  the  bazaars  are  miles  of  narrow  covered  lanes  lined 
on  either  side  with  cotton,  Avoolen,  and  silk  stalls  ;  cliarcoal, 


Fig.  77.   Tabriz  has  Mud  Houses  with  Flat  Roofs  and 
Narrow  Streets 


wheat,  and  carpet  depots ;  butcher  shops,  jewelers,  stands, 
fruit  stores,  and  candy  shops.  Tlie  sparks  fly  from  the 
Ijlacksniiths'  booths,  the  hammers  ring  in  the  co[)persmiths' 
lane,  and  the  samovars  shine  in  the  brass-workers'  shops. 
The  crowds  are  so  great,  the  alleys  are  so  narrow,  and  the 
smells  are  so  bad  that  no  foreigner  ever  wishes  to  stay  in 
any  Eastern  bazaar  very  long  at  a  time. 


LIFE  OX  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAX 


219 


You  remember  that  when  we  were  in  Turkestan  we  de- 
cided to  return  on  the  Central  Asian  Raih'oad  until  we 
were  near  the  northern  boundary  of  Persia,  and  to  enter 


1  X  1    rMl.rw 1 

Fig.  78.    Tin;  IIammkrs  ring  in  the  CorrERS.MiTiis'  Lane 

the  country  at  tliat  point.  So  at  Ashkabad,  a  town  in  the 
Transcaspian  Province,  we  will  leave  the  train.  W'f  will 
take  a  long  last  look  at  the  raih'oad  station  half  iiiildcn  by 
locust  and  mulberry  trees,  and  at  the  wide,  well-shaded 


220  ASIA 

streets  with  their  streams  of  running  water.  We  shall  not 
liiid  many  ])leasant  streets  in  Persia,  nor  shall  we  see 
otlier  railroad  stations,  for  in  the  whole  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land  there  are  but  few  miles  of  railroad. 

Aslikabad  is  thirty  miles  from  the  Persian  border,  and 
tlie  Kussians,  who  control  nearly  everything  in  northern 
Persia,  have  built  a  good  road  not  only  to  the  boundary 
line  but  eighty  miles  beyond  it  to  IMeshed,  a  city  which, 
on  account  of  a  saint  who  is  buried  there,  the  ]\Iohamme- 
dans  hold  in  highest  reverence,  and  visit  by  thousands  to 
worship  at  the  tomb.  Jn  many  parts  of  Asia  the  old  high- 
ways, traversed  l)y  thousands  of  pilgi'ims  going  to  worship 
at  their  holy  places,  have  become  important  trade  routes. 

To  accommodate  those  who  can  afford  to  ride,  coaches 
run  from  Ashkabad  to  Meshed,  and  by  taking  one  of  these 
we  shall  roach  the  sacred  city  in  five  days.  Wo  cannot 
help  tiiinking  that  this  fine,  hard  road  will  enable  Russia 
not  only  to  carry  pilgrims  to  their  shrine  but  also  to  put 
her  s(»ldi('rs  into  Persia  at  short  notice  if  trouble  arises, 
and  wo  wonder  which  thought  was  uppermost  in  the  mind 
of  tlie  Russian  government  when  it  sought  permission  of 
Persian  otficials  to  build  the  road. 

On  our  way  to  IMeshed  we  meet  endless  lines  of  camels 
swinging  steadily  northward,  while  the  bell  which  each  one 
wears  keeps  wp  a  monotonous  tinkle.  Equally  numerous 
are  the  caravans  of  heavily  laden  nuiles  following  m  single 
file  a  sturdy  little  horse  that  leads  the  way.  If  we  could 
examine  the  packs  with  which  the  caravans  are  loaded, 
we  should  learn  many  of  the  occupations  of  the  Persians. 
We  should  find  luindreds  of  bales  of  raw  cotton,  silk,  and 
wool,  bags  of  wheat,  barley,  and  oats,  and  rolls  of  beautiful 


LIFE  OX  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN 


221 


carpets  and  rugs.  The  caravans  which  are  south^Yard  bound 
carry  chiefly  manufactures,  such  as  cotton  and  woolen 
cloth,  hardware,  matches,  and  great  quantities  of  sugar. 
The  Persians  are  very  fond  of  sweetmeats  and  candy,  and 


-t'iG.  7'J.    ^\  .L  MLKT  Emjll^s  Lines  oi    Camels 


tlicy  consume,  especially  during  llic  hot  season,  a  large 
amount  of  delicious  sweetened  fruit  juices  called  sherbets. 
'J'he  Russians  have  Ijuilt  another  road,  stretching  south- 
ward from  near  the  Caspian  Sea  to  Teheran.  With  the 
exception  of  what  is  called  tlie  King's  Highway,  which 
extends  a  few  miles  north  and  south  from  'J'ehcran,  these 
two  modern  roads  are  the  only  real  highways  iji  Persia. 


'2-2-2  ASIA 

'I'hc  (itlicr  so-called  roads  are  merely  rough,  stony  tracks, 
iiKitlc  1)\  countless  caravans  which  for  centuries  have  been 
constant ly  crossing  tlie  (-ountry.  Persian  horses  wear  a  shoe 
w  liicli  nearly  covers  the  foot.  The  narrow  ring  of  steel  com- 
nionlv  worn  in  our  country  would  be  of  little  protection 
against  the  sharp  stones  covering  the  paths,  which  often 
lead  up  river  beds  sown  with  bowlders,  across  stretches  of 
ha  1(1  giavel,  or  over  solid  rock.  In  such  cases  they  are 
(liHicult  to  follow,  and  if  one  gets  off  the  path,  it  is  not 
easy  to  liud  it  again  or  to  distinguish  the  right  one. 

Tliere  are  several  ways  in  which  we  can  travel  through 
l*ersia.  ( )iie  is  by  post  horse,  taking  very  little  baggage 
with  us  and  stopping  at  the  resthouses  on  the  way  to 
sleep  and  eat  and  get  fresh  animals.  The  places  are  filthy 
and  noisy,  we  should  probably  not  be  able  to  eat  the  food, 
and  the  horses  might  all  be  taken  by  some  traveler  just 
ahead  of  us ;  in  this  case  we  should  be  forced  to  remain 
in  an  unpleasant  village  or  dirty  [)osthouse  for  a  day  or 
two  before  we  could  continue  our  journey. 

In  parts  of  the  country  we  can  obtain  carriages,  if  it  13 
proper  to  call  such  rickety  vehicles  carriages,  but  a  jour- 
ney through  Persia  in  a  carriage  would  not  prove  so 
pleasant  as  it  sounds.  While  the  horse  was  m  the  narrow 
footpath  the  wheels  on  one  side  might  be  deep  in  a  hole 
and  those  on  the  other  side  on  top  of  a  bowlder.  After 
being  made  black  and  blue  by  a  ride  of  a  few  miles,  you 
would  be  glad  to  change  your  seat  in  the  carriage  for  one 
on  the  back  of  a  horse  or  a  mule  or  even  a  camel. 

<)nr  third  and  last  choice  is  to  go  by  caravan,  which, 
though  slower,  is  sure  to  be  more  enjoyable.  We  shall 
cai-ry  with  us  our  tents,  beddmg,  food,  and  other  necessities. 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAI^  223 

We  shall  sleep  on  the  open  plain  under  the  glittering  stars, 
cook  our  own  food,  travel  at  our  leisure,  and  in  this  way- 
make  the  trip  a  little  more  comfortable.  Traveling  in 
Persia  is  at  best  hard  and  tiresome,  even  though  all  possible 
preparations  are  made  for  comfort. 

While  at  Meshed  we  should  like  to  see  some  of  the 
beautiful  rugs  which  many  of  the  pilgrims  have  spent 
years  in  making,  and  which  they  have  brought  with  them 
as  offerings  at  the  slirmes  of  the  buried  saints.  Very  lovely 
rugs  are  also  made  near  the  shrines,  and  these  the  pilgrims 
buy  to  take  home  with  them  as  mementos  of  their  visit. 
Rug-making  is  one  of  the  great  industries  of  Persia,  and 
rugs  are  more  valuable  than  any  other  export.  People 
sometimes  pay  thousands  of  dollars  for  a  genuine  old 
Persian  rug. 

Beautiful  rugs  are  made  by  the  people  in  other  parts  of 
the  continent  —  in  the  west,  in  the  dusty  desert  villages  of 
Central  Asia,  and  in  Afghanistan,  Baluchistan,  China,  and 
India,  —  but  the  Persian  rugs  are  considered  superior  to 
those  of  any  other  country.  In  the  tents  and  mud  huts  of 
these  Asiatic  tribes  there  are  no  tables,  chaus,  beds,  or 
couches,  such  as  we  have ;  the  people  sit,  eat,  and  sleep 
on  the  hard-beaten  earth  floor.  In  very  early  ages  they 
probably  used  the  skins  of  animals  to  sit  on  and  to  wrap 
themselves  in  while  they  slept.  Later  they  made  coarse 
mats  of  reeds  and  fibers  to  cover  the  cold  ground. 

The  inhal)itants  of  western  Asia  were  originally,  as 
many  of  them  are  to-day,  wandering  triljes,  living  cliiefly 
on  their  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats.  These  early  peoples 
were  probably  not  long  in  discoveiiiig  that  the  soft  coats 
of  their  animals,  as  well  as  their  flesh  and  milk,  were  of 


224  ASIA 

great  value.  Tlie  iiipii  spent  their  time  in  hnnting,  in 
cultivating  the  soil  and  threshing  the  little  grain  that  was 
raised  during  the  summer,  in  caring  for  the  flocks  and 
herds  and  in  shearing  them.  The  women  and  girls  spun 
the  wool  into  yarn  and  wove  it  into  rugs.  Time  was  no 
ohject,  as  they  had  little  to  do  besides  their  weaving,  and 
thev  could  spend  as  long  as  they  chose  on  their  work.  No 
wonder  they  grew  to  love  it  and  tried  to  make  the  rugs 
as  i)eautiful  as  possible.  So  closely  are  some  of  these  old 
rugs  woven,  and  so  many  are  the  knots  that  are  tied  in 
them,  that  it  took  months  to  finish  one  small  piece.  Little 
children,  when  only  five  or  six  years  old,  began  to  help 
their  mothei-s.  Young  girls  worked  for  years  on  rugs  which 
were  to  be  a  i)art  of  their  marriage  dowry.  Each  tribe,  and 
somt'tinu's  each  family,  had  its  own  special  pattern,  which 
was  handed  down  fioni  one  generation  to  another.  All 
worked  from  memory  and  no  patterns  were  used. 

As  the  men  tended  the  flocks  on  the  hillsides  they 
became  acquainted  with  the  plants  and  shrubs  around 
them.  Tliey  experimented  with  the  roots,  berries,  bark, 
and  leaves,  and  thus  learned  to  make  dyes  with  which  they 
coloi-cd  the  yarn  that  the  w'omen  had  spun.  No  colors  in 
the  \\(iild  aie  more  beautiful  than  those  made  by  the 
wandeiing  tribes  of  Persia  and  other  Eastern  countries, 
and  lugs  dyed  with  them  do  not  fade,  but  grow  more  soft 
and  lovely  with  the  passing  years. 

Many  of  the  old  oriental  rugs  are  small,  as  most  of  them 
were  made,  not  to  cover  floors,  but  to  furnish  seats.  In 
the  old  mud  houses  the  chief  of  the  tribe  or  the  head  of 
tlie  family  sat  on  a  raised  bench  at  the  end  of  the  room, 
while  along  either  side  were  low  mud  benches.    To  cover 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN 


225 


these  seats  long,  narrow  rugs  were  made  in  pairs,  and 
smaller  ones  two  or  three  feet  long  accommodated  other 
members  of  the  household  around  the  fire.  These  rugs 
were  the  most  treasured  possessions  of  the  family.    They 


ly;  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fio.  80.    Tin;  -Mkn  tkndki)  tiieiu  Flocks  on  the  Hillsides 


would  no  more  think  of  selHiig  them  than  you  would  think 
of  selling  your  bed  or  your  table.  People  are  willing  to  pay 
iunnense  sums  for  these  rugs  since  they  liave  learned  how 
lovely  they  are,  l^it  it  is  not  always  easy  to  obtain  them. 

Merchants,  seeing  tb(!  demand  for  these  East(^rn  rugs, 
began   to   hire   them   made.     Tiiere   is  to-day  no  lack   of 


•2'26  ASIA 

\^•t)l•kc'l•s,  but  in  weaving  for  money  they  no  longer  give 
tlu'  slow,  painstaking  care  wliicli  made  the  antique  rugs  so 
vahnible.  Still  hundreds  of  beautiful  rugs,  some  coarser, 
sonu-  liner,  arc  bciiii,'  iiuidc  all  over  western  Asia.  In  many 
cases  European  merchants  sup[)ly  the  wool  and  even  the 
patterns,  and  the  girls  and  women,  boys  and  men,  weave 
as  fast  as  they  ean.  In  t-vcry  city  of  Persia  into  which  we 
shall  go  we  shall  lind  rugs  for  sale,  and  in  every  village 
which  we  shall  visit  we  shall  see  women  and  girls  and  even 
little  childi'en  weaving  as  fast  as  their  lingers  can  fly, 

.Most  of  the  rugs  displayed  in  the  bazaars  of  Eastern 
cities  are  coarse  and  cheap.  The  liner  ones  are  bought  up 
by  native  merchants,  by  representatives  of  large  European 
and  American  firms,  and  by  rug  collectors,  who  ship  them 
to  their  business  houses  or  their  homes  or  to  some  large 
center  like  Constantinople, 

Days  pass,  one  after  another,  as  we  journey  southward. 
Each  morning  we  start  on  our  way  very  early,  perhaps 
before  four  o'clock,  as  by  eight  or  nine  the  sun,  beating 
down  on  the  unshaded  plain,  is  so  hot  that  it  would  be 
dangerous  to  brave  its  rays.  We  put  up  our  tents  and 
creep  into  them,  thankful  indeed  if  a  cliff  lends  its  shadow 
to  ward  off  the  fierce  heat.  The  buzzing  of  the  flies  out- 
side our  mos(|uito  netthig  sounds  to  our  drowsy  ears  like 
a  distant  orchestra.  We  sleep  through  the  hot  hours  as  the 
Persians  do,  and  when  the  sun  creeps  behind  the  distant 
hills,  we  spread  a  cloth  on  the  ground  in  front  of  our  tent 
and  eat  our  supper.  The  round,  flat  cakes  of  Persian  bread 
will  serve  us  for  plates,  which  we  can  eat  after  the  rest  of 
the  food  has  disappeared.  In  the  towns  we  can  obtain 
mutton,  fowl,  and  plenty  of  fruit,  as  Persia  is  noted  for 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  227 

its  yellow  apricots,  juicy  melons,  refreshing-  pomegranates, 
delicioLis  figs  and  elates,  and  fine  grapes;  but  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  trip  we  shall  have  to  depend  on  the  canned 
foods  which  we  bring  with  us.  Our  Persian  guide  and 
servants  are  very  well  satisfied  with  some  rice,  bread,  and 
a  handful  of  dates  or  figs.  The  animals  forage  for  them- 
selves and  seem  to  enjoy  the  prickly  thorn  and  low  shrubs 
which  they  find  around  the  camp.  To  keep  them  in  good 
condition  for  the  long,  hard  trip  they  are  given  other  food 
also.  We  never  tire  of  seeing  the  camels  fed.  The  driver 
puts  down  on  the  grcjund  a  bundle  of  straw  and  makes 
the  camels  kneel  in  a  circle  around  it.  When,  after  mucli 
groaning  and  grumblmg,  they  are  all  in  position,  he  puts 
into  each  open,  outstretched  mouth  balls  of  barley  dough 
which  he  has  molded  with  his  hands. 

After  supper  is  over,  and  the  stars,  and  perhaps  the  moon, 
have  come  to  light  us  on  our  way,  we  take  up  our  march 
once  more  and  move  slowly  along  until  nearly  midnight, 
when  we  are  glad  to  camp  for  the  night.  Thus  we  travel 
on  over  the  plains,  sometimes  glistening  white  witli  salt, 
sometimes  black  with  volcanic  rock,  and  sometimes  covered 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  see  with  yellow  sand.  We  journey 
day  by  day  toward  the  hills  which  bound  our  horizon,  and, 
crossing  them,  we  find  ourselves  in  another  barren  plain 
1j()1iii(1('(1  also  l)y  hills  or  n)ountaii)s.  Indeed,  most  of  the 
surface  of  Persia  is  a  succession  of  bare,  dreary  phtti'aus 
crossed  by  ridges  of  hills.  We  pass  ruins  of  ancient  cities, 
crumbling  walls,  loose  stones,  and  [)il('S  of  broken  brick, 
forever  telling  their  silent  story  of  the  power  and  splendor 
of  the  great  centers  which  once  dotted  the  desert  country 
through  whicli  we  are  traveling. 


228  ASIA 

A  t'ly  from  our  guide,  and  we  notice  ahead  of  us  a 

tliic'k    yellow    cloud.     We    have    scarcely  time    to    close 

our  eyes  and  bow  our  heads   before   the  sand  storm  is 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  81.    Lkt  us  stoi'  at  This  Little  Village 

upon  us.  When  it  has  passed  and  we  venture  to  look 
about,  we  find  ourselves  powdered  like  a  miller  in  his 
floury  coat,  every  fold  of  our  clothes  carrying  its  load  of 
sand,  and  our  cheeks  cut  by  the  fine  grains. 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  229 

Let  us  stop  for  a  time  at  this  little  Persian  village  and 
see  how  the  people  live.  As  we  approach  we  can  scarcely 
see  the  low,  flat-roofed  mud  huts,  as  the  mud  wall  around 
is  higher  than  the  houses.  Through  the  fields  of  wheat  and 
the  melon  patches  outside  the  wall  flows  a  stream  of  du-ty 
water,  brought  in  an  underground  channel  from  the  hills 
in  the  distance.  See  those  women  washing  on  the  banks. 
How  queer  they  look  with  their  faces  closely  veiled  and 
their  feet  and  legs  bare  to  the  knees.  Many  of  the  settle- 
ments in  Persia  are  nomad  villages  like  the  one  we  are  visit- 
ing. The  people  live  here  through  the  whiter,  and  in  the 
sunnner  the  women  and  some  of  the  old  people  and  chil- 
dren are  left  here  to  care  for  the  crops  while  the  rest  drive 
the  flocks  and  herds  to  the  high  pastures  on  the  hills. 

Every  city  and  town  and  village  in  Persia  is  supplied 
with  running  water.  Little  ditches  and  canals  pass  through 
courtyards  and  gardens  and  streets.  Each  person  is  allowed 
for  his  crops  the  use  of  a  certain  amount  of  water,  which  is 
let  uito  tlie  trenches  in  his  garden  by  the  water  keeper  and 
allowed  to  flow  for  a  certain  number  of  hours  every  ten 
days.  No  one  is  allowed  to  use  more  except  for  washing 
and  cooking.  Persians  believe  that  running  water  is  always 
pure;  so  they  have  no  objection  to  the  women  washing  and 
tlie  animals  wading  in  the  stream  wliich  is  to  supply  a 
whole  town  with  water  for  co(jking  and  drinking. 

Some  of  the  men  are  plowing  while  others  are  at  work 
on  the  threshing  floor.  Look  at  that  man  driving  an  ox 
and  a  mule  round  and  round  over  the  grain  to  tread  out 
tlie  kernels.  There  is  another  throwing  spadefuls  of  grain 
into  the  air.  The  wind  blows  away  the  chaff  and  the  wheat 
falls  in  a  pile  at  his  feet. 


230 


ASIA 


<&  Uuderwood  i  Underwood 

Fig.  82.   The  Goatskin  is  Full  of  Milk,  and  they  will  knock  it 
back  and  forth  until  the  butter  comes 


As  we  peep  into  one  of  the  houses  we  can  see  a  woman 
bakiiii:^  l)read.  She  lias  made  a  dough  of  barley  and  water 
and  is  kneading  it  into  Hat  cakes.  She  pulls  the  coals  out 
I  if  tlic  brick  oven  and  with  a  quick  motion  of  her  hand 
slaps  the  big  round  cake  onto  the  hot  bricks.   Another  goes 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  231 

onto  the  side  of  the  oven  and  still  others  onto  the  top.  In  a 
few  minutes  they  are  done  and  she  offers  us  one.  They  are 
hot  and  crisp  and  would  do  very  well  if  we  could  always 
liave  them  fresh,  but  when  stale  they  are  hard  and  tough. 


Fig.  83.    The  People  have  a  Queer  Way  of  getting  Warm.    They 

CREEP  IN  A  Circle  under  the  Heavy  Rug  which  covers  the  Pan 

OF  Charcoal 

There  are  two  women  kiiockiiio-  a  skin  bag  suspended  lioiu 
a  tripod  of  sticks.  Are  they  doing  gymnastic  exercises?  Nf), 
indeed,  they  are  making  butter.  The  goatskin  is  full  of  milk, 
and  they  will  knock  it  l)ack  and  fortli  until  the  buttei'  comes. 

Persia  is  very  Cfjld  in  winter,  and  llic  lioiiscs  witli  llicii' 
mud  floors  are  not  very  (•(iniloitiil)lc.     The  people  luive  a 


232  ASIA 

queer  way  of  getting  warm.  In  the  floor,  in  the  center  of 
the  room,  is  a  dish  of  burning  charcoal  covered  wdth  a 
heavy  nig.  The  family  creep  in  a  circle  under  the  thick 
covering,  and  thus  their  feet  and  the  parts  of  their  bodies 
wliich  the  rug  is  big  enough  to  cover  are  kept  warm  and 
comfortable. 

Tlie  lamp  they  use  is  a  dish  hlled  with  palm  oil  in  which 
is  a  twist  of  cotton.  It  gives  a  very  feeble  light,  but  the 
people  lia\  e  no  books  and  papers  and  could  not  read  them 
if  they  ha(h  When  they  are  not  traveling,  they  go  to  bed 
at  darl<,  and  so  have  little  use  for  artiiieial  lights. 

As  we  travel  farther  south  the  increasing  number  of 
caravans  and  the  numerous  riders  on  mules,  camels,  and 
liorses  tell  us  that  we  are  approachmg  Teheran,  the  capital 
of  Persia.  It  is  built  of  the  mud  on  which  it  stands,  and  so 
cannot  be  seen  for  any  great  distance.  As  w'e  come  nearer 
we  see  its  nnul  walls  and  l)ehind  them  the  green  trees  lin- 
ing some  of  the  streets  and  ornamenting  the  gardens  which 
are  a  part  of  the  establishment  of  every  well-to-do  Persian. 
Above  the  trees  shine  the  blue  domes  and  slender  minarets 
of  the  mosques. 

In  the  European  quarter,  where  the  foreign  ministers  live, 
there  are  broad,  shaded  streets,  but  even  in  these  streets 
there  are  large  lioles  here  and  there,  made  by  some  enter- 
prisuig  Persian  who  needed  more  mud  to  complete  his  house. 
The  open  tramcars,  the  gas  and  electric  lights,  the  well- 
built  houses,  the  carriages,  the  telephone  poles,  the  drug 
stores,  and  the  restaurants  make  us  feel  that  we  have  been 
suddenly  transported  to  some  European  or  American  city. 

A  walk  in  the  native  quarter,  and  particularly  in  the 
bazaars,  drives  away  any  such  thought.    We  push  our  way 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN 


233 


through  the  dirty,  narrow  alleys  among  the  swarms  of  peo- 
ple "  some  in  rags  and  some  in  tags  and  some  in  velvet 
gowns."  There  are  tall,  turbaned  priests,  filthy  beggars, 
veiled  ladies  escorted  by  servants,  dark-skuined  Armenians, 
and  wild-looking  nomads,  while  everywhere  camels,  horses, 
and  donkeys  crowd  in 
among  the  people.  We 
have  never  seen  so 
many  donkeys  as  there 
are  in  the  streets  of 
Teheran  —  donkeys  of 
all  sizes  and  colors, 
donkeys,  so  covered 
with  brushwood  for 
fuel  that  nothing  but 
their  feet  is  visible, 
donkeys  so  small  that 
the  bare  feet  of  tlu^ 
rider  dangle  nearly  to 
the  ground,  donkeys 
loaded  with  baskets 
of  fruit,  with  huge 
bundles  of  straw  sev- 
eral times  larger  than 
themselves,  with  bodies 

of  sheep  from  the  slaughterhouse,  with  bricks,  and  with 
tents.  We  press  back  against  the  walls  to  let  them  pass, 
^^'e  stumble  against  them  as  we  cross  the  street,  and  their 
loads  prod  us  from  behind  as  we  stop  to  look  at  the  articles 
in  the  shops.  Story-tellers  and  snake  charmers  attract 
crowtls  which   almost  block    tlu;    narrow  passages;   veiled 


Fig.  84.    Tiikkk  auk  always  Bkcmjaks  in 
Tin;  N'li.i.AGKS  AND  Cities 


234  ASIA 

wonu'ii,  so  completely  enveloped  in  their  long,  dark  cloaks 
tliat  their  own  husbands  wonld  not  recognize  them,  bargain 
at  the  jewelry  booths ;  merchants  sit  cross-legged  on  their 
rugs,  eating  melon  seeds,  reading  the  Koran  (the  Moham- 
medan Bible),  or  smoking  their  long  pipes,  and  all  the 
while  keeping  one  eye  on  possible  customers  in  the  crowd 
before  them. 

In  Teheran  most  of  the  streets,  as  in  other  Persian  cities, 
aside  from  the  crowded  ones  in  the  bazaar,  are  dull  and 
uninteresting,  as  nothing  is  visible  on  either  side  but  mud 
walls.  As  in  all  Mohanunedan  countries,  family  life  is  very 
private.  A  Persian  may  welcome  you  cordially  to  his 
garden  or  to  his  own  apaitments,  but  no  stranger  or  male 
relative  sees  anytliing  of  the  women  and  girls.  After  a 
Persian  girl  is  eight  or  ten  years  old,  no  man,  except  her 
father  or  brother  and  later  her  husband,  ever  sees  her  face. 
If  from  curiosity  or  from  any  other  motive  a  man  on  the 
street  should  attempt  to  peer  under  the  veil  of  a  Persian 
woman,  death  at  the  hands  of  an  angry  mob  would  probably 
be  the  result.  The  life  of  a  woman  of  the  wandering  tribes 
is  much  freer  than  that  of  her  sisters  m  town  and  city.  The 
nomad  w^oraan  goes  about  with  her  face  uncovered  and 
enters  mto  the  life  of  the  tribe  as  the  veiled  lady  never 
does  in  her  family. 

Leaving  the  bazaars  of  Teheran,  we  visit  next  the  great 
public  square.  Tliis  is  an  immense  open  park  where  public 
ceremonies  are  lield,  where  the  Persian  soldiers  di-ill,  and 
where  royal  exhibitions  take  place.  On  one  sitie,  sur- 
rounded by  a  strong  wall,  is  the  most  important  group 
of  buildings  in  Teheran  —  the  palace  of  the  shah,  the  treas- 
ury, tlie  royal  college,  and  the  theater.    In  the  palace  we 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAK 


235 


can  see  the  wonderful  throne,  mlaid  and  ornamented  with 
gold  and  supported  by  carved  figures  of  lions,  on  which 
tlie  shahs  of  Persia  have  sat  in  state  for  centuries.  The 
crown  jewels  are  dazzling.  There  are  crowns  and  swords 
and  scepters  blazing  with  glittering  diamonds,  gleaming 
sapphires,  lustrous  pearls,  and  blood-red  rubies. 

We  leave  Teheran  for  the  south  over  the  King's  High- 
wav,  a  fine,  broad  street  which  leads  several  miles  out  of 


Fig.  85.    We  will  visit  next  the  Great  Puulic  Squake  in  Teiiekan 

the  city.  We  look  back  more  tlian  once  at  the  lofty  Dema- 
vend,  the  highest  peak  of  the  Elbui'z  Mountains.  Its  tower- 
ing head,  now  snow-white  against  the  blue  sky,  now 
glowing  with  rosy  light  m  the  setting  sun,  and  now  half 
liidden  by  fleecy  clouds,  is  a  siglit  which  visitors  to  Teheran 
never  forget. 

Every  day  tlie  sun  shines  irom  a  clear,  de('p-bhn'  sky,  and 
the  air  blows  fresh  and  free  across  the  wi(h^  plain.  No 
wonder  the  nomads  prefer  the  frectlom  of  caravan  life  to 
living  in  the  crowded,  dirty,  unliealthful  towns  and  cities. 


23fi  ASIA 

Our  servants  become  our  companions,  and  our  horses  seem 
like  real  friends.  They  follow  us  about  like  dogs,  eat  from 
our  iuinds,  and  greet  us  in  the  morning  with  a  low  neigh 
of  wt'lcoinc.  Days  may  pass,  as  we  creep  slowly  toward  the 
distant  hills,  \\  iiliout  oiii-  seeing  a  village,  a  caravan,  or  any 
sign  of  lift^ 

Kiisliaii,  the  center  of  the  Persian  silk  trade,  is  one  of  the 
important  places  on  our  route.  In  the  bazaar  we  feast  our 
eyes  on  soft,  lustrous  silks  and  velvets,  pieces  of  lovely  old 
eml)roider3',  shinnnering  scarfs  and  brilliant  sashes,  and  we 
long  to  till  oui-  saddlebags  with  purehases.  Shopping  in 
Persia,  however,  is  a  work  of  time,  several  hours  being  used 
up  in  bargaming  for  a  single  article.  So  we  reluctantly 
make  our  way  out  of  the  crowded  bazaar  to  the  place  where 
our  camels  are  resting. 

We  should  like  to  swing  off  to  the  west  of  the  caravan 
route  and  visit  Ispahan,  the  old  capital  of  Persia.  Like  all 
otlicr  Persian  cities  it  is  a  [)lace  of  nnid  walls  and  mud 
houses  overtopped  by  glitterhig  domes  and  minarets  of 
luimerous  mosques.  The  city  has  lost  much  of  its  former 
life  and  importance,  and  everything  looks  sadly  out  of  re- 
pair. Near  by  are  the  ruhis  of  ancient  cities  and  palaces; 
these  are  more  interesting  than  the  city  itself,  for  they  tell 
of  bygone  splendors  and  of  kings  and  conc^uerors.  Our  trip 
by  caravan  from  Teheran  to  the  Baluchistan  Ixnder  will 
take  us  nearly  two  months.  We  shall  grow  very  tired  of 
the  lukewarm  water  which  we  shall  have  to  drmk  from 
skin  bags,  the  dry,  unappetizing  food,  the  hot  sun,  the  pene- 
trating sand,  and  the  motion  of  the  camels ;  so,  without 
stopping  to  visit  any  places  which  lie  off  our  direct  route, 
we  take  up  our  march  again. 


LIFE  0^^  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  237 

Our  way  lies  along  a  stretch  of  desert  land  which  scien- 
tists tell  us  is  the  bed  of  a  dried-up  inland  sea.  This  barren 
region  occupies  a  large  part  of  central  and  eastern  Persia 
and  is  one  of  the  dreariest  wastes  to  be  found  anywhere  in 
the  world.  An  old  prophecy  foretells  that  the  city  of  Yezd, 
which  lies  on  our  route,  will  some  day  be  buried  by  the  sand, 
and  the  drifting  dunes  which  to-day  are  piling  up  against 
the  city  walls  seem  to  indicate  that  this  prophecy  may  come 
true  in  the  near  future. 

What  are  those  curious-looking  towers  which,  here  at 
i^ezd,  seem  more  prominent  than  the  minarets  of  the 
mosques?  Those  are  wind  towers,  beneath  which  are  under- 
ground rooms  to  which  the  people  go  on  very  hot  days  to 
enjoy  the  air  which  is  fanned  down  the  air  shafts  above. 
Persia  is  a  land  of  great  extremes  of  climate.  The  moun- 
tains on  its  borders  shut  out  the  modifying  ocean  breezes, 
and  consequently  the  winters  are  very  cold  and  the  summers 
intensely  hot,  especially  in  the  central  and  southern  parts, 
where  the  thermometer  often  rises  to  considerably  more 
than  one  hundred  degrees.  The  interioi-  of  tlie  country  is 
so  high  that  the  air  is  very  thin  and  the  earth  cools  off 
quickly  after  sunset,  so  that  the  nights  are  usually  not  un- 
comfortable. After  the  fierce  heat  of  the  sun  is  gone,  the 
people  come  from  the  stifling  rooms  or  the  underground 
apartments,  where  they  liave  spent  most  of  the  day,  and 
sit  on  tlie  flat  roofs  of.  tlifir  lioiises,  where  they  enjoy  the 
breeze,  chat,  eat,  and  perhaps  sleep. 

We  will  stop  a  little  wliile  at  Kerman,  one  of  several 
centers  in  the  country  where  the  weaving  of  Persian  rugs 
is  an  important  industry.  There  is  very  little  machinery  in 
Persia;  everything  is  done-  ])y  hand  and  llic  rugs  aie  woven 


238 


ASIA 


on  (ild-lasliioiKMl  liaiul  Iddiiis.  In  llio  so-called  factories  of 
Kerimui,  wliere  uuiiiy  ol'  the  weavers  are  children,  a  reader 
drones  ont  the  pattern,  "  Three  red  and  tA\^o  black,  six 
bhu'."    The    little    weavers   chant   back    in    (heir   childish 


1,0  lliiderwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  8ti.    We  pass  Little  Baluchi  Villages  made  up  of  Mud  Huts 

COVERED   WITH    PaLM-LeAF   MaTTING 


voices,  "  Three  red  and  two  black,  six  blue,"  and  so  on 
through  the  long,  hot  hours,  while  their  little  fingers 
swiftly  twist  and  knot  the  strands  of  wool. 

Leaving  Kerman,  we  journey  southward,  now  over  moun- 
tain passes,  now  tln-ough  green  valleys,  and  now  across 


LIFE  OX  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN  239 

long  stretches  of  desert  toward  the  borders  of  Baluchis- 
tan, We  pass  little  Baluchi  villages  made  up  of  mud  huts 
covered  with  palm-leaf  matting  and  surrounded  by  groves 
of  date  palms,  which  in  many  cases  are  the  sole  support 
of  the  people.  The  men,  with  their  baggy  trousers,  long, 
loose  blouses,  and  yards  of  cotton  cloth  wound  as  a  turban 
over  their  greasy  black  hair,  appear  so  repulsive  that  we 
do  not  care  for  a  closer  acquaintance,  and  the  women  look 
so  worn  and  bent  and  wrinkled  that  they  arouse  our  sym- 
pathy. They  are  not  so  attractive,  however,  that  we  should 
care  to  make  them  a  visit,  so  we  will  conthiue  our  trip 
toward  the  coast. 

Our  trip  through  Persia  is  ended,  for  at  Karachi,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Indus  River,  we  shall  take  a  steamer  for 
a  sail  up  the  Persian  Gulf.  As  we  leave  the  desolate,  barren 
land  we  wonder  what  will  be  the  future  of  this  ancient 
country.  Both  Russia  and  England  are  deeply  interested 
in  tliis  question.  Most  of  the  commerce  of  the  northern 
part  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Russians,  whose  territory  lies 
next  door,  and  the  trade  of  tlie  south  is  controlled  by  the 
English.  The  English  police  the  caravan  routes  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  country  over  which  much  freight  is 
carried.  They  are  thus  made  safe  from  attack  by  wandering 
tribes.  The  government  of  Persia  linds  itself  in  rather  a 
difficult  position  —  little  money  in  the  treasury,  an  army  of 
but  little  use,  and  strong  nations  north  and  south  ready  to 
interfere  if  things  do  not  go  smoothly.  What  will  be  the 
outcome  no  one  at  the  present  time  can  tell.  Perliaps  it 
would  be  more  appropriate  to  close  the  chapter  with  a  (jues- 
tion  mark  than  with  a  period,  and  watch  to  see  what  the 
future  will  bring  to  this  land  of  the  desert  and  the  sunshine. 


240  ASIA 

TOPICS  FOR   STUDY 


1.  History  of  Persia. 

2.  The  plateau  of  Iran. 

3.  Size,  surface,  and  climate  of  Persia. 

4.  Tabriz. 

5.  Route  into  Persia  from  tlie  Central  Asian  Railroad. 

6.  Travclinjf  in  Persia. 

7.  Making  Persian  rugs. 

8.  A  sand  storm. 

9.  A  Persian  village. 

10.  Persian  homes. 

11.  Teheran,  the  capital. 

12.  Persian  women. 

13.  Kashan  and  its  silk. 

14.  Ispahan,  the  old  capital. 

15.  Yezd  and  its  sand  dunes. 

16.  Kerman  and  its  rugs. 

17.  \'ilhiges  of  Baluchistan. 

18.  Future  of  Persia. 

II 

1.  (  Ml  a  iiuip  of  Asia  show  the  plateau  of  Iran  and  the  countries 
which  surround  it.    Show  on  it  the  cities  mentioned. 

2.  Write  a  list  of  the  cities  situated  on  the  plateau  of  Iran. 
Write  beside  each  city  a  fact  concerning  it. 

3.  Sketch  a  map  of  Persia ;  on  it  show  the  route  we  have  fol- 
lowed and  the  cities  we  have  passed  through. 

4.  Name  a  city  of  the. United  States  of  the  same  size  as  Tabriz; 
as  Teheran.  Name  one  in  the  same  latitude  as  each  of  the  Persian 
cities. 

5.  Describe  two  trade  routes  between  Persia  and  Moscow.  Write 
the  name  of  a  city  on  each  route. 

6.  Describe  the  route  followed  by  the  cotton  sent  from  Persia  to 
Moscow ;  the  rugs  sent  from  Persia  to  Constantinople. 


LIFE  ON  THE  PLATEAU  OF  IRAN 


241 


III 


Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.   Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chapter. 


India 

Quetta 

Afghanistan 

Jalalabad 

Baluchistan 

Herat 

Russia 

Kabul 

England 

Kalat 

China 

Tabriz 

Turkey 

Ashkabad 

Transcaspian  Province 

Meshed 

Transcaucasia 

Teheran 

Plateau  of  Iran 

Kashau 

Persian  Gulf 

Ispahan 

Euphrates  River 

Yezd 

Tigris  River 

Karachi 

Indus  River 

Kerman 

Elburz  Mountains 

Kansas  City 

Demavend 

Moscow 

Marathon 

Constantinople 

Thermopylae 

CHAPTER  XI 

I'KOrLKS  or  WESTKKX  ASIA 

After  our  long,  tiresome  caravan  trip  tlirough  Persia,  it 
is  pleasant  to  travel  for  a  while  by  water.  We  will  choose 
the  cool  season  for  our  voyage,  as  during  the  hot  months 
a  tri[).on  tlie  Persian  Gulf  would  be  nearly  as  uncomfort- 
able as  one  on  land.  The  English  boats  are  fine  and  large, 
and  the  appearance,  costumes,  and  manners  of  the  pas- 
sengers afford  us  constant  entertainment. 

The  Persian  Gulf  is  more  than  tln-ee  times  the  size  of 
Lake  Superior.  At  one  time  it  was  much  larger,  but  the 
northern  part  has  been  filled  up  by  the  ceaseless  work  of 
the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  rivers,  which  are  still  depositing 
innnense  quantities  of  silt  at  their  mouths  and  Imilding 
their  delta  farther  and  farther  south. 

We  pass  many  islands  as  we  sail  northward.  Those  on 
our  right  are  rugged  and  mountainous  like  the  coast  of 
Persia,  near  which  tliey  lie,  while  those  near  Arabia  are  low 
and  sandy,  like  the  shore  line  of  that  country.  The  Balu-em 
Islands,  one  of  the  groups  near  the  Arabian  shore,  interest 
us  more  than  any  of  the  others,  as  they  are  the  center  of  the 
pearl  fisheries  for  which  the  Persian  Gulf  is  famous.  Pearls 
are  found  in  a  variety  of  oyster  larger  than  the  kinds  which 
we  ordinarily  use  for  food.  The  pearls  obtamed  here  are 
large,  beautiful  gems,  apd  the  industry  is  a  very  important 
one,  employhig  hundreds  of  boats  and  thousands  of  men. 

242 


WESTERN  ASIA 


243 


See  that  diver  just  preparing  to  go  down.  Instead  of 
being  protected  by  a  diving  suit  with  water-tight  hehnet 
and  air  pump,  he  is  ahiiost  naked.  A  bag  to  hold  the  shells 
which  he  may  gather  is  fastened  around  his  waist,  and  a 
long  knife,  to  defend  himself  with  if  a  shark  comes  too 


t./                       1 

Fig.  87.    Pkaiu-s  akk  founi)  is  Uvsteus 


near,  is  carried  in  a  sheath  tied  to  liis  aim.  Sliarks  are 
very  plentiful  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  many  divers  are 
eaten  by  tliem  every  year. 

A  large  stone  attached  to  a  rope  lies  in  tlu^  bottom  of 
the  boat.  One  of  the  men  lets  it  down  over  tlic  side, 
and  the  diver,  holding  onto  the  rope,  is  carried  swiftly 


244  ASIA 

downward  into  the  water  by  the  weight  of  the  stone.  Let 
lis  watch  to  see  him  come  up.  How  long  could  you  hold 
your  breath  under  water  while  you  walked  around  looking 
for  slu'lls  and  stooping  to  put  them  hito  your  bag?  The 
gathering  of  the  shells  must  be  done  with  one  hand,  for 
\\itli  llif  other  lie  must  k(!ep  tiglit  hold  of  the  rope,  as  it 
is  ilie  weigiit  of  the  stone  which  keeps  him  at  the  bottom. 
See,  his  head  has  just  come  above  the  surface,  and  our 
Avatch  says  just  one  minute  later  than  when  he  disap- 
peared. A  minute  is  a  long  time  to  hold  your  breath.  Try 
it  and  see,  and  you  will  realize  what  a  wonderful  thing  it  is 
for  these  divers  to  lemain  vuider  water  for  so  long  a  time. 

The  men  liel[)  him  into  the  boat,  wliile  the  stone  is 
lowered,  and  another  diver  disappears.  The  work  is  very 
exhausting.  See  how  thin  the  bodies  of  the  divers  are,  and 
what  a  queer,  strained  look  their  eyes  have.  We  see  no  old 
men  among  them,  for  the  life  is  so  hard  that  few  live  to 
old  age.  You  think,  perhaps,  that  pearl  divers  must  be- 
come rich  from  the  sale  of  the  gems  which  they  risk  their 
lives  to  obtain.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  miserably  poor, 
for  they  receive  oidy  a  few  cents  a  day  for  their  exhaust- 
ing labor. 

After  leaving  the  Bahrein  Islands,  we  steam  northward 
to  Basra,  an  ancient  city  and  tlie  place  from  which  Sindbad 
the  Sailor  started  on  those  remarkable  voyages  of  which 
he  tells  m  the  Arabian  Nights.  Basra  is  an  open  port 
where  all  the  world  may  come  to  trade.  It  is  located 
a  little  to  the  south  of  the  place  where  the  Tigris 
and  Euphrates  rivers  unite.  Here  we  ghall  start  on 
our  trip  up  the  Tigris  River  to  the  old  city  of  Bagdad, 
five  hundred  miles  away.    We  sail  for  some  time  between 


WESTERN  ASIA 


245 


palm-bordered  banks,  barren  plains,  swamps  and  marshes, 
and  shores  lined  with  tall  rushes.  Here  and  there  are  mud 
villages  with  tiny  gardens  of  fruits  and  vegetables ;  we  see 


©  l'iiilerwoo<l  &  iruJurwood 

Fig.  88.    Wp;  see  the  Reed  Huts  of  the  Akabs 


also  the  reed  Imts  of  the  Arabs,  with  herds  of  camels  feed- 
ing near  by;  and  now  and  then  we  pass  a  group  of  brown 
tents  made  of  sheep's  hair  or  goat's  hair,  tlu;  homes  of  some 


24r,  ASIA 

wandering  tribe.  Brown-skinned  boys  and  girls  run  for 
long  distances  along  the  banks,  begging  for  food  wliich 
some  of  the  passengers  throw  to  them;  flocks  of  sheep  and 
goals  are  feeding  near  the  river;  and  from  time  to  time 
groups  of  natives  stop  tlieir  work  in  the  fields  to  watch  the 
steamer  pass.  We  meet  steamers  carrying  hides  and  skins, 
o[)ium  and  gums,  dates  and  wool,  and  we  pass  others  carry- 
ing to  liagdad  yarn  from  India,  coffee  from  Brazil,  oil  from 
the  United  States,  and  cotton  cloth  from  England. 

Farther  up  the  river,  where  cultivated  fields  formerly 
supplied  i'ood  for  great  cities,  endless  flats  of  tall,  coarse 
grass  cover  the  })lains,  and  whei-e  millions  of  people  once 
lived  wild  animals  now  roam. 

Far  away  over  the  barren  land  we  see  a  caravan  wind- 
ing its  way  along.  Accompanying  the  slowly  moving 
camels  are  men  on  horseback,  who  dash  toward  the  river 
as  if  to  attack  the  steamer.  On  reaching  the  banks  they 
stop  so  suddenly  as  to  throw  their  horses  back  on  their 
haunches,  and  then  as  suddenly  they  wheel  and  dash  away 
across  the  plain.  Their  flowing  robes,  brilliant  turbans, 
long  spears,  bright  daggers,  and  splendid  horsemanship 
are  fascinating,  and  we  watch  them  until  they  disappear 
ill  a  cloud  of  dust. 

We  are  in  Mesopotamia,  one  of  the  oldest  countries  in 
the  world,  lying  l)etween  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates  rivers. 
To-day  jNIesopotamia  is  an  Arab  kingdom  known  as  Iraq. 
Here,  thousands  of  years  ago,  the  great  cities  of  Babylon 
and  Nineveh  flourished ;  to  the  north  rises  Mt.  Ararat, 
where,  the  Bible  tells  us,  Noah's  ark  first  came  to  land ; 
and  somewhere  in  this  region,  many  learned  writers  say, 
was  the  Garden  of  Eden  itself,  where  Adam  and  Eve  lived. 


WESTERN  ASIA 


247 


Perhaps  you  have  read  of  the  ancient  glories  of  Nineveh, 
of  the  Hanging  Gardens  of  Bahylon,  and  of  the  network  of 
irrigatmg  canals  which  turned  this  desert  region  mto  a  gar- 
den, and  you  are  expecting  to  see  some  of  these  things  on 
your  trip.    If  so,  you  will  be  greatly  disappointed.    Nothing 


Fig.  89.    Their  Flowing  Robes,  their  Long  Spears,  and  their 
Splendid  Horsemanship  are  Fascinating 


remains  of  the  ancient  cities  ])ut  ruins,  and  instead  of  over- 
flowing canals  watering  a  land  green  with  growing  crops, 
you  will  find  only  the  empty  channels  choked  with  stones 
and  earth,  and  tlie  bare,  lirown  fields  of  a  thirsty  country. 
The  reopening  of  these  old  waterways  and  the  building  of 
new  canals  would  make  the  land  a  most  fertile  one,  would 
enable  it  to  feed  a  dense  population,  and  would  make  Bag- 
dad and  Basra  rank  among  the  important  seaports  of  the 


248 


ASIA 


world.  T^nfler  Enu^lish  direction  a  beginning  has  been 
made  toward  reclaiming  the  fertile  fields  of  Mesopotamia, 
and  some  of  the  old  canals  have  been  reopened.   You  must 


g,  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  90.  Nothing  remains  of  the  Ancient  Cities  blt  Ruins 

remember,  however,  that  before  the  World  War  all  of 
this  land  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  and  that  in  the 
whole  of  the  Turkish  empire,  from  the  Black  Sea  on  the 
north  to  the  desert  of  Arabia  on  the  south,  and  from  Persia 


WESTEKN  ASIA  249 

on  the  east  to  the  western  borders  of  this  Mohammedan 
country,  there  existed  few  modern  improvements,  few  well- 
governed  towns  and  cities,  and  few  prosperous  farms. 

In  the  time  of  the  ancient  glory  of  ]\Iesopotamia,  when 
Babylon  and  Nmeveh  crowned  the  plains,  the  Tigris  and 
Euphrates  rivers  flowed  in  separate  channels  all  the  way 
to  the  Persian  Gulf.  Now,  however,  owing  to  the  silting 
up  of  the  old  beds,  their  waters  unite  a  few  miles  from  the 
coast  into  one  stream,  the  Shat  el  Arab.  This  shallow, 
muddy  river  is  bordered  for  miles  with  groves  of  date 
palms.  The  plantations  stretching  off  into  the  countr}^  on 
either  side  supply  the  greater  part  of  the  world  with  dates. 
Thousands  of  tons  are  shipped  away  each  year,  and  all  the 
inhabitants  around  Basra,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
pick  dates,  eat  dates,  and  pack  dates.  The  wharves  of  the 
city  are  piled  with  lumber  —  thin  boards  and  strips  all  ready 
to  be  nailed  into  boxes  in  which  to  pack  the  fruit.  From 
Bagdad,  dates  are  exported  in  skins  to  Turkey,  Egypt,  and 
the  East.  Those  shipped  from  Basra  are  packed  in  boxes 
for  the  United  States  and  European  countries. 

When  the  dates  are  ripe,  thousands  of  natives  flock  into 
the  plantations  from  the  surrounding  country.  The  men 
climb  the  trees  and  cut  and  shake  off  the  fruit  while  the 
women  sort  and  pack  it.  The  weather  is  unbeara])ly  hot 
at  tliis  time  of  the  j-eai-.  Tlie  wind  which  has  l)l()\vii  all 
summer  and  afforded  some  little  relief  from  the  awful  heat 
ceases  in  the  early  fall.  Few  foreigners  can  endure  the 
scorching  heat  of  the  sun  in  the  still  air,  l)ut  the  natives 
work  on,  for  the  money  which  conies  from  the  sale  of  the 
dates  is  their  chief  means  of  livelihood.  A  few  pounds  of 
dates  seems  a  large  quantity  when  you  think  of  eating  tlieni 


250  ASIA 

nil,  yet  thousands  of  tons  are  shipped  each  year  from  this 
old  city  of  Basra,  the  name  of  which  perhaps  you  have 
never  heard  before  readuig  this  chapter.  It  brmgs  the  far- 
away parts  of  the  earth  nearer,  does  it  not,  to  think  of  the 
numberless  places  (on  rivers,  gulfs,  bays,  and  oceans,  on  high 
plateaus  and  in  low  valleys,  in  Arctic  plains  and  tropical 
jungles)  where  imjx)rtant  industries  which  add  to  our  com- 
fort and  happiness  are  carried  on  by  people  of  every  race 
and  color. 

Bagdad,  the  chief  port  of  this  ancient  land  of  Mesopota- 
mia, is  the  very  city  in  which  the  charming  Scheherazade 
told  her  cruel  husband  those  wonderful  stories  which  fasci- 
nate girls  and  boys  to-day  as  much  as  they  did  the  sultan. 
As  we  near  the  city  we  recall  some  of  these  stories  of  the 
Arabian  Nights,  and  their  fascmating  descriptions  of  en- 
chanted palaces,  beautiful  maidens,  treasures  of  jewels  and 
gems,  genii  and  giants,  and  we  should  not  be  surprised 
to  see  the  caliph  Ilarun-al-Rashid  liimself,  decked  in  his 
royal  robes,  waiting  to  receive  us,  or  to  find  him  wander- 
ing in  his  disguise  about  the  narrow  streets  as  he  was 
wont  to  do. 

For  some  distance  below  Bagdad  the  river  flows  in  a 
straight  line.  This  gives  us  the  opportunity  of  viewing  the 
city  as  we  approach  it.  Above  the  houses  rise  hundreds 
of  stately  date  palms;  they  line  the  streets,  ornament  the 
gardens,  and  surround  tlie  wells.  Higher  against  the  blue 
sky  are  the  tall,  slender  minarets  and  the  big  round  cupolas 
of  the  mosques,  brilliant  in  blue,  black,  wdiite,  and  green. 
In  Christian  countries  spires  and  steeples  are  often  topped 
with  a  cross,  but  in  ?dohammedan  lands  every  cupola  and 
minaret  is  surmounted  by  a  glittermg  crescent. 


WESTERN  ASIA 


251 


Since  we  began  our  journeying  in  Eastern  countries  we 
have  become  so  accustomed  to  crowds  and  to  strane^e  mix- 
tures  of  peoples  that  we  easily  make  our  way  through  the 
horde  of  Turks,  Arabs,  Persians,  Armenians,  Syrians,  Afri- 
cans, Hindus,  and  Bedouins  who  throng  the  landhig  place. 


I  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  91,    The  Gooffa  is  a  vkkv  Common  Boat  on  the  Tiguis  Riveu 


Anywhere  in  the  Orient  a  crowd  of  people  is  a  kaleido- 
scope of  color,  and  that  gathered  at  the  wharf  in  liagdad 
is  no  exception. 

See  those  men  sitting  in  that  immense;  round  dish  out  on 
the  river!  We  rub  f)ur  eyes  and  wonder  if  lliis  is  Ihc  land 
of  Mother  Goose  and  if  those  are  the  wise  men  of  (iotliam 


252  ASIA 

who  went  to  sea  in  a  bowl.  That  is  not  a  bowl,  but  a  gooffa, 
a  vcrv  eoinnion  boat  on  the  Tigris  here  at  Bagdad.  It  is 
an  iiniiu'iisc  circular  basket  six  or  eight  feet  in  diameter, 
made  of  wickerwork  and  thickly  tarred  inside  and  out  to 
make  it  perfectly  water-tight. 

'J"he  gooffa  is  not  the  only  queer-lookhig  craft  on  the 
river.  See  those  rafts  made  of  poles  supported  by  inflated 
goatskins  and  covered  with  the  boughs  of  trees.  They 
have  come  from  many  miles  up  the  river  and  are  loaded 
with  merchandise  brought  by  caravans  from  the  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  with  wood  for  buildmg 
pur|)oses. 

Tiie  streets  of  Bagdad,  like  those;  of  other  Eastern  cities, 
arc  narrow,  crowded,  and  bordered  with  nmd  walls,  above 
wliich  we  catch  glimpses  of  waving  date  palms  and  orange 
and  pomegranate  trees.  We  know  that,  hidden  from  view 
behind  the  walls,  thousands  of  men,  women,  and  children 
are  living,  working,  and  playing,  and  we  wish  that  ]\Ioham- 
medans  were  not  so  particular  about  the  privacy  of  their 
lives,  so  that  w'e  might  see  some  of  their  homes. 

AVhat  is  that  loud  ery  Avhich  seems  to  come  from  the  air 
above  us  ?  That  is  the  muezzin  far  up  in  the  minaret,  call- 
ing the  faithful  to  prayer.  We  should  become  accustomed 
to  this  call  if  we  lived  in  a  Mohammedan  country.  Five 
times  a  day  the  muezzin  cries  from  his  tower  in  a  loud, 
chanting  voice,  "Allah  is  greatest!  Allah  is  greatest!  Only 
Allah,  besides  Him  there  is  not  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is 
the  apostle  of  Allah  I"  When  tliis  call  is  given,  every  faith- 
ful Mohammedan,  wherever  he  may  be  or  whatever  he  may 
be  doing,  drops  on  his  knees  facmg  the  holy  city  of  Mekka 
and  recites  his  prayers. 


WESTERN  ASIA 


253 


As  we  walk  about  through  different  parts  of  the  city  we 
wonder  how  the  people  know  when  they  reach  their  own 
homes,  as  the  streets  all  look  very  much  alike,  the  houses 
are  liidden  behind  mud  walls,  and  at  night  the  city  is  m 


Fig.  92.   We  hear  the  Muezzin  fak  li-  in  the  Min.vket  calling 
THE  Faithful  to  Prayer 

darkness  except  f(jr  the  moon  an<l  stars.  No  stranger  rests 
well  in  Bagdad,  for  the  dogs,  which  are  fully  as  numerous 
as  in  other  Eastern  cities,  keep  up  a  continual  barking  and 
howling  which  makes  sleep  out  of  the  question  for  tlujse 
not  accustomed  to  the  noise. 


254  ASIA 

lieforo  the  World  War  the  few  short  railroads  of  the 
westtn-n  part  of  the  continent,  which  was  then  known  as 
Asiatic  Turkey,  skirted  the  Mediterranean  coast,  and  trade 
elsewhere  was  carried  on  chiefly  by  caravans.  The  (Germans 
had  gained  permission  from  the  ruler  of  Turkey  to  build  a 
railroad  from  the  Asiatic  shore  opposite  Constantinople  to 
liagdad,  and  it  was  partially  completed  when  the  war  broke 
out.  Such  a  railroad  would  be  a  great  rival  to  the  water 
route  through  the  Red  Sea,  so  important  to  England. 
When  Turkey  went  in  with  CJcrmany  and  declared  war 
against  the  allied  nations,  England  proni[)tly  sent  an  ex- 
pedition up  the  Persian  Gulf  and  along  the  Tigris  River 
It)  Hagiiad.  The  ancient  city  as  well  as  the  territory  farther 
north  were  Ihially  captured  from  the  Turks  by  the  English. 
Many  improvements  were  made  during  the  war,  and  many 
nujre  will  be  made  as  time  goes  on.  Railroads  have  been 
started,  roads  built,  and  modern  steamers  carry  the  traffic 
between  Bagdad  and  Basra.  In  a  few  years  these  cities, 
with  electric  lights  and  cars,  modern  systems  of  sewerage 
and  water  supply,  and  other  sanitary  improvements,  will 
rank  among  the  important  commercial  cities  of  Asia. 

Outside  the  walls  of  Bagdad  there  is  a  large  inclosure 
filled  with  hundreds  of  camels,  horses,  and  mules,  where 
we  can  obtain  animals  for  our  trip.  We  will  hire  several 
camels  and  their  drivers,  and  as  travel  in  these  regions  is 
not  always  safe  we  will  join  some  larger  caravan.  The  wan- 
dering tribes  of  Bedouins  often  rob  caravans  and  dash  off  so 
quickly  into  the  desert,  which  they  know  as  well  as  you  know 
the  streets  of  your  city,  that  it  is  useless  to  follow  them. 

We  have  an  exciting  time  mounting  our  camels.  They 
are  not  ugly,  though  they  groan  fearfully  as  the  drivers 


WESTERN  ASIA  255 

bid  them  kneel  for  us  to  mount.  Look  out  that  you  are 
not  thrown  off  as  the  camel  rises.  He  comes  up  on  his  hind 
feet  first,  as  we  learn  when  we  are  pitched  violently  for- 
ward. Then  he  rises  on  his  front  feet  and  we  lurch  sud- 
denly backward.  The  gait  is  unpleasant  to  any  one  not  used 
to  it,  and  we  swing  back  and  forth  like  a  boat  rocking  on 
the  waves.  We  will  take  along  with  us  some  extra  horses, 
which  we  can  ride  if  tlie  motion  of  the  camel  makes  any 
of  us  "  seasick." 

We  are  gomg  to  what  is  perhaps  the  oldest  city  in  the 
world,  Damascus,  in  the  ancient  land  of  Syria.  In  order  to 
avoid  the  worst  part  of  the  desert,  which  lies  in  our  way, 
we  will  take  a  route  which  curves  around  tlie  north  of 
Arabia.  We  shall  pass  but  few  towns  on  our  way,  and  wo 
must  lay  in  a  stock  of  provisions  for  our  journey,  as  cara- 
van camels  travel  slowly.  There  is  as  much  difference  in 
the  speed  of  camels  as  there  is  in  that  of  horses.  Some 
camels  can  make  as  much  as  a  hundred  miles  a  day,  while 
these  which  make  up  our  caravan  will  not  travel  more  than 
thirty.  A  smft  camel  can  make  the  trip  from  Bagdad  to 
Damascus  in  ten  days  while  we,  with  our  slow  caravan, 
shall  require  more  than  a  month.  Let  us  occupy  some  of 
tliis  time  by  learning  something  of  the  country  through 
which  we  are  traveling. 

Bordering  the  Black  Sea  on  the  south  is  tlie  country  of 
Armenia.  Perhaps  you  may  have  seen  some  Armenians, 
for,  because  of  the  cruel  treatment  of  the  Turks,  many  have 
left  their  homes  for  Kurop(;  and  th(i  riiit('(l  States.  The 
kingdom  of  Armenia  was  once  nnicli  larger  than  tlie  country 
is  at  present  and  was  divided  among  the  Russians,  Persians, 
and  Turks.     For  many  years  the  hihabitants  of  Turkish 


2oG 


ASIA 


Armenia  have  suffered  terribly.  The  Armenians  are  indus- 
trious and  thrifty,  while  Turks  are  lazy  and  greedy.  jMorethan 
that,  llic  Aruioiiaiis  are  Christians  and  the  Turks  are  Mo- 
hauimrdans.  Not  heing  able  to  make  the  Armenians  change 
their  reli"iou,  the  'J'urks  have  robbed  and  murdered  them, 


Fig.  03.  Somk  C.vmkls  can  make  as  much  as  a  Hundred  Miles  a  Day 

have  burned  their  houses,  and  destroyed  their  villages.  Let 
us  hope  that  the  Armenians  may  be  relieved  from  their 
Turkisii  oppressors  and  have  more  happiness  and  prosper- 
ity in  the  future  than  they  have  had  in  the  past. 

To  the  west  of  Armenia  in  the  Turkish  province  of  Angora 
we  can  see,  feeding  in  the  pastures,  great  flocks  of  Angora 
goats,  whose  warm  coats  are  used  in  making  carpets  and 


WESTERN  ASIA  257 

mohair  cloth.  Angora  goats  are  raised  to-day  in  many  parts 
of  the  world,  but,  owing  to  the  dry  climate  and  the  clear, 
bracing  air  of  these  upland  pastures  of  Turkey,  the  fleece 
of  the  animals  raised  there  is  superior  to  that  of  any  others. 
Hundreds  of  tons  of  wool  come  from  Angora  to  the  ports 
on  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  from  there  are  shipped  to 
Constantinople,  to  be  scattered  through  different  parts  of 
Europe  and  the  United  States. 

The  territory  in  Asia  still  included  in  Turkey  lies  in  the 
peninsula  of  Anatolia,  which  extends  westward  between  the 
Black  and  Mediterranean  seas.  This  peninsula  used  to  be 
called  Asia  Minor.  Angora  is  the  present  capital  of  Turkey, 
and  Smyrna  is  the  principal  city  and  seaport.  It  is  the 
most  up-to-date  city  of  Western  Asia  and  has  a  large  trade. 
Business  firms  from  the  United  States  are  introducing  through 
this  port  sewing  machines,  typewriters,  office  supplies,  boots 
and  shoes,  furniture,  and  other  modern  manufactures. 

Since  ancient  times  it  has  been  the  custom  in  Asia  Minor, 
and  is  to-day  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  to  collect  snow 
from  the  mountains  during  the  winter  months  and  store  it 
in  deep  pits  in  cities  and  towns.  During  the  hot  summer 
this  snow  is  peddled  from  house  to  house.  An  American 
firm  has  now  introduced  an  ice  plant  uito  Smyrna,  which 
will  probably  be  the  first  of  many  to  be  established 
througlHMit    the    country. 

Smyrna  is  a  great  market  for  oriental  rugs.  Some  are 
made  in  the  city  itself,  but  many  more  are  woven  in  the 
tents  of  wandering  tribes  and  in  the  little  nnid  villages 
scattered  over  the  plains  and  on  the  hillsides.  The  rugs 
are  brought  into  Smyrna  by  caravans,  some  of  which  have 
been  several  months  on  their  journey. 


258  ASIA 

There  are  two  products  wliieh  girls  and  boys  like  to  eat 
for  which  Smyrna  is  an  iniportant  market.  These  are  iigs 
and  licorice.  On  the  wharf  there  are  piles  of  great  brown 
l)alcs  filled  \\\{]\  licorice  root,  which  is  obtained  from  a  plant 
ihrcc  or  four  feet  high  belonging  to  the  pea  family.  For- 
merlv,  and  to  some  extent  at  the  present  time,  the  roots  were 
obtained  from  plants  which  gi'cw  wild  in  the  fields,  but 
to-day  there  is  such  a  demand  for  the  drug  that  large  areas 
are  planted  each  year.  The  roots  are  diied  and  then  pressed 
int<j  bales  to  be  shipped  away.  Did  you  realize  how  much 
licorii-e  we  use  in  the  United  States  as  a  medicine,  to  im- 
prove  the  taste  of  other  unpleasant  medicines,  to  coat  pills, 
and  to  eat  in  candy?  It  takes  manj^  thousand  tons  to 
supply  these  and  other  needs,  and  the  most  of  this  enormous 
quantity  is  shipped  from  Smyrna. 

Sm^-rna  figs  are  considered  the  best  in  the  world.  The  fig 
orcliards  in  this  portion  of  Asia  are  so  numerous  and  so 
well  cared  for  that  it  would  take  more  than  one  hundred 
thousand  camels,  each  loaded  with  four  or  five  hundred 
pounds,  to  carry  the  fruit  produced  in  one  year.  The  figs 
ripen  early  in  ^Vugust  and  soon  fall  to  the  ground.  You 
can  imaghie  how  busy  the  people  are  at  this  time  of  the 
year,  packing  the  fruit  in  jars  and  boxes  of  all  shapes  and 
sizes,  to  be  sent  to  European  countries,  the  United  States, 
and  other  lands.  We  iiu[)()rt  millions  of  pounds  of  figs 
from  Smyrna,  and  we  use  also  millions  of  poiuids  which 
come  from  our  California  orchards. 

One  writer  has  compared  Damascus  to  a  pearl  set  m 
emeralds,  and  as  we  first  view  the  city  from  our  camels  we 
do  not  wonder  at  the  description.  The  mud  houses  are  of 
light  clay  color,  and  terraces  of  these  delicate  creamy  roofs 


p-l 


269 


2(;0  ASIA 

risi'  out  of  a  sea  ol'  (U-u.se  green  foliage  which  for  miles  sur- 
roimtls  the  city.  2\'o  wonder  that,  to  travelers  coming  from 
the  desert,  where  for  days  at  a  time  no  tree  is  visible,  the 
first  sight  of  Damascus  in  its  setting  of  green  should  seem 
beautiful.  To  people  accustomed  to  wooded  hills,  shaded 
streets,  and  fragrant  orchards  it  })robably  would  not  make 
so  great  or  so  pleasing  an  impression,  and  a  closer  view  of 
its  mud  walls  and  houses  dispels  any  resemblance  to  a  pearl. 
Damascus  is  one  of  the  important  cities  of  Western  Asia, 
and  its  population  is  estimated  at  from  two  hundred  fifty 
tliousand  to  three  hundred  thousand.  Let  us  visit  the 
ba/.aars,  for  they  are  the  most  famous  in  the  East.  From 
the  crowd,  the  noise,  the  dust,  and  the  confusion  we  sliould 
thiidv  that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  were  there.  It 
seems  almost  impossible  to  believe  that  for  four  thousand 
years  traders  have  been  buying  and  selling  in  the  streets 
of  Damascus.  When  the  pilgrims  landed  on  the  bleak 
shores  of  Massachusetts,  the  noisy  crowds  were  tlironging 
the  alleys ;  when  Cohunbus  discovered  America,  Jews, 
Mohaunnedans,  and  Christians  were  bargaining  in  the 
little  stalls ;  when  Christ  was  born,  the  veiled  women, 
the  turbaned  men,  and  the  donkeys,  loaded  with  goatskms 
of  water,  with  piles  of  firewood,  and  with  bundles  of  rich 
rugs,  jostled  and  pushed  their  way  through  the  narrow 
streets ;  and  could  a  picture  have  been  taken  in  the  time 
of  Abraham,  David,  or  Solomon,  it  would  look  very  nuich 
like  a  snai)shot  which  any  tourist  may  take  to-day.  The 
goldsnnths  are  at  work  on  the  same  dainty  filigree  work, 
the  coppersmiths  still  hammer  out  dishes  of  the  same 
shape,  the  rug  merchants  still  sit  cross-legged  near  their 
wares,  and  the  letter  writer,  with  his  inkhorn  in  his  crirdle, 


WESTERN  ASIA 


261 


still  waits  for  customers,  just  as  goldsmiths,  coppersmiths, 
rug  merchants,  and  letter  ^^liters  have  done  for  centuries. 


I  UniliTwooil  ,t  Underwood 

Fig.  95.   The  Letter  Wkitek  still  waits  for  Customers 

The  "  street  which  is  called  Straiglit,"  of  whicli  we  read 
in  tlie  Bible,  is  still  the  most  important  thoroughfan;  in 
Damascus.  It  is  somewhat  wider  and  straigliter  tliaii  some 
of  tlie  others  and  is  lined  for  a  part  of  the  way  by  tlie  best 
shops  which  can  be  found  in  the  city. 


202  ASIA 

What  is  the  crowd  which  completely  fills  that  great 
square  in  the  heart  of  the  city  ?  If  we  were  at  home  we 
might  think  that  a  circus  had  come  to  town.  The  square 
is  crowded  with  groaning  camels,  heavily  laden  donkeys, 
horses,  and  nuiles.  Crowds  of  people  are  mounting  then- 
steeds,  saying  farewell  to  friends,  and  making  their  last 
preparations  for  a  long  journey.  These  are  pilgrims  south- 
ward bound  for  the  sacred  city  of  Mekka.  This  city,  sup- 
posed to  be  the  birthplace  of  Mohammed,  is  the  capital 
of  Uejaz  and  is  about  halfway  down  the  eastern  coast  of 
the  Red  Sea.  Mekka  is  the  holiest  place  in  the  world  to 
the  followers  of  the  prophet,  and  any  INIohannnedan  who 
makes  a  pilgrimage  to  the  city  and  worships  at  its  shrines 
thinks  himself  sure  of  salvation. 

From  Damascus  to  Mekka  by  caravan  is  a  long,  hard  trip. 
Many  wealthy  Mohammedans  now  go  by  rail  to  Beirut,  and 
thence  down  the  Red  Sea  to  a  port  near  the  holy  city.  But 
the  harder  the  journey  the  greater  the  blessing,  and  thou- 
sands go  every  year  by  caravans  from  Damascus.  None  but 
Mohammedans  are  allowed  to  make  the  pilgrimage,  and 
none  but  Mohammedans  can  enter  Mekka,  so  we  will  not 
join  the  pilgrims  but  will  journey  by  ourselves  down 
through  Syria,  Palestine,  and  Ilejaz.  After  the  World 
War,  Syria  was  made  a  mandate  of  France,  and  Palestine 
of  Great  Britahi,  while  Ilejaz  became  an  Arab  kingdom. 

If  our  trip  in  Western  Asia  were  completed  we  could 
start  from  Damascus  on  a  queer  little  cogwheel  railroad 
and  wind  over  mountains,  through  passes  and  gorges  and 
little  green  valleys,  to  Beirut,  ninety  miles  away  on  the 
seacoast.  Beirut  is  perhaps  the  most  prosperous  city  in 
Syria,  and  certainly  one  of  the  most  beautiful.    The  blue 


WESTERN  ASIA 


263 


Mediterranean  lies  at  its  feet,  and  behind  it  rise  lofty, 
snow-capped  mountains.  On  the  plains  near  the  shore 
there  are  large  vmeyards  and  orchards  of  olives,  figs, 
lemons,  and  oranges.  Even  the  steep  mountain  slopes  are 
cultivated,  and  stone  terraces  prevent  the  soil  from  being 
washed  mto  the  valley.  Some  of  the  fruit  trees  grow  to  a 
great  age,  and  many 
of  the  orchards  which 
clothe  the  moun- 
tam  sides  have  been 
tended  by  the  same 
families  for  hun- 
dreds of  years. 

The  railroad  from 
Damascus  to  Beirut 
follows  the  old  liigh- 
way,  and  from  the 
car  wmdows  one  can 
catch  glimpses  ol 
long  caravans  plod- 
ding slowly  along 
the  dusty  road.  The 
donkeys  and  camels 

are  probably  loaded  with  grain  from  the  little  farms,  silk 
from  the  looms  of  Damascus,  poles  from  the  poplar  trees 
(which,  being  rapid  growers,  are  planted  everywhere  in. 
Syria),  fruit  (which  glows  al)uiidantly  all  over  the  coun- 
try), and  cans  of  petroleum  from  Transcaucasia. 

Here  and  there  one  can  also  see  |)easaiits  at  work  in 
the  fields  or  busily  engaged  in  cutting  tin;  leaves  from 
the  cactus  hedges  to  use  for  fuel.    AVood  is  very  scarce  in 


•  Ku>btonf  View  Co. 
ill.  i.i.    AND   THEKE    OnE    CAN    SEE 

Peasants  at  Work 


204  ASIA 

Syria,  and  branches,  leaves,  trunks,  and  roots  of  trees, 
plants,  and  vegetables  are  carefully  saved  and  dried. 

We  do  not  wish  to  end  our  tour  at  Beirut,  however, 
for  by  so  doing  we  should  miss  one  of  the  pleasantest  parts 
of  our  it)Uin('y,  tlic  (rii)  through  the  Holy  Land,  where 
.Icsus  lived  and  worked.  Jerusalem  is  rather  more  than 
out!  hundi-ed  miles  from  Damascus,  and  our  route  lies  near 
the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  (ialilee  and  along  the  Jordan  River. 
Because  of  its  connection  with  the  life  of  Christ  the  Jordan 
is  familiar  to  everyone,  though  its  entire  length  is  but  little 
moi-e  than  the  distance  from  Boston  to  New  York. 

Voii  have  all  heard  of  the  Dead  Sea,  into  which  the 
Jordan  River  flows.  It  was  once  a  much  larger  body  of 
watei-  than  it  is  to-day  and  occupied  the  entire  valley  where 
the  liver  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee  now  lie.  It  is  the  lowest 
body  of  water  on  the  earth.  If  you  could  lie  in  the  waters 
of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  a  level  with  the  surface  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  you  would  have  more  than  thirteen  hundred 
feet  of  water  above  you. 

You  would  be  in  no  danger  of  drowning  in  the  Dead 
Sea,  as  it  is  eight  times  as  salt  as  the  ocean,  and  in  such 
water  it- is  impossible  to  sink.  When  you  finish  your  bath 
you  will  be  glad  to  wash  in  some  clean,  fresh  water,  for 
your  whole  body  feels  sticky  and  you  can  even  rub  off  the 
grains  of  salt  with  your  hands.  No  fish  live  in  this  sea,  no 
Jairds  come  here  to  drink,  and  nothing  grows  on  its  barren 
shores. 

If  it  were  not  for  its  associations  with  tlie  life  of  Christ, 
few  foreigners  would  think  of  making  a  tour  to  Jerusalem. 
It  luis  a  population  of  about  eighty  thousand,  and  is  of  less 
importance  now  than  in  ancient  times.    Its  low  houses  are 


WESTERN  ASIA 


265 


built  of  stone.  Its  streets  are  narrow  and  thronged  with 
people,  and  its  bazaars  are  crowded.  It  is  visited  annu- 
ally by  thousands  of  people  who  come  from  all  over  the 


©  Underwood  tk  lIiidcrwo(xl 

Fi<;.  U7.    Till'.  Stkkkts  ok  .Jkim  sai.km  akic  Nakkow 

civilized  world;  probably  no  city  of  ils  size  receives  so  iiiiuiy 
visitors.  The  beautiful  Mosque  of  Omar  covers  the  site 
where  Solomon's  temple  stood.  'Ilic  dhurch  of  tbr  Holy 
Sepulcher  is  l)uilt  over  the  spot  wheie  the  body  ol'  Christ 
is  supposed  to  have  been  Inuied.    'riiousands  of  pilgrims 


266 


ASIA 


tliionj;  the  street  which  is  believed  to  be  the  one  through 
which  Jesus  was  led  to  Calvary  to  be  crucilied.  The 
modern  citv,  however,  is  built  on  the  ruins  of  others  which 
have  stood  ou  the  same  site,  and  if  the  Via  Dolorosa  is 
really  the  street  through  which  the  people  followed  Christ 
to  Calvary,  they  must  have  walked  thirty  or  forty  feet 

below     its    present 
level. 

We  can  ride  in 
less  than  an  hour 
to  the  little  town  of 
Bethlehem,  where 
Jesus  was  born.  A 
church  has  been 
l)uilt  o]i  the  spot 
where  the  manger 
is  supposed  to  have 
;-itood,  and  thou- 
sands of  pilgrims, 
with  love  and  wor- 
ship in  their  eyes, 
and  as  many  tourists 
with  notebooks  and 
cameras  in  their  iiaiids,  stand  •every  year  before  the  altar 
which  marks  the  place;  where  the  Saviour  was  bom. 

Bethlehem  is  to-day  a  neat  little  whitewashed  town  of 
eight  thousand  pt^ople,  nearly  all  of  whom  depend  for  a 
living  ou  the  visitors  to  the  place.  As  we  walk  thrcjugh 
the  narrow  streets  we  can  see  the  people  in  their  little  low 
houses  making  rosaries,  crucifixes,  boxes,  paper-cutters, 
and  other  small  articles  from  olivewood,  sandalwood,  and 


CD  KL^stuUL  \  lew  Co. 

Fill.  98.    This  Street  is  believed  to  be 

THE   Om;    TiiKOUGii  WHICH  Jesits  was   led 

TO  Calvauy 


WESTERN  ASIA 


2H7 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  99.  The  Well  at  Nazauetii  may  be  the  very  One  wheue  Mary, 
THE  Mother  of  Jesus,  used  to  come  to  fill  her  Water  Jaus 

mother-of-pearl.  Fully  half  of  the  inhabitants  of  lU-thlrlicin 
spend  their  time  in  domg  such  work,  aiul  immense  (luaiili- 
ties  of  these  and  other  curios  are  sold  annually  to  tourists 
("nearly  all  of  whom  wish  to  take  home  some  souvenirs  from 
the  Holy  Land)  and  shipped  to  other  countries. 


268 


ASIA 


Nestling  among  the  hills  to  the  north  of  Jerusalem  is 
the  little  town  of  Na/.areth,  where  Jes\is  lived  and  worked 
with  his  father  Joseph.    The  low,  flat-roofed  houses  are 


i  i  Underwood 


Fir;.  100.    Wk  pass  Encampments  of  Bedouins 

similar  to  those  so  common  throughout  the  East.  On  the 
page  before  this  you  can  see  a  picture  of  the  well  which 
supplies  the  little  town  with  water.  This  well  is  very- 
old  and  may  perhaps  be  the  very  one  where  Mary,  the 


WESTERN  ASIA  2G9 

mother  of  Jesus,  and  other  women  of  the  village  used  to 
come  mornmg  and  evenmg  to  fill  their  water  jars. 

The  threshmg  floor  still  lies  at  the  end  of  the  village. 
The  grain  is  still  trodden  out,  as  it  has  been  for  centuries, 
by  camels  and  donkeys,  and  the  men  separate  the  wheat 
from  the  chaff,  as  they  did  in  olden  times,  by  throwing  it 
into  the  air  and  letting  the  wind  do  their  work  for  them. 
In  the  brown  fields  the  women  still  glean  the  scattering 
spears  which  the  reapers  have  left,  as  Ruth  did  in  the 
fields  of  Boaz.  The  hills  around  Nazareth  are  still  clothed 
with  orchards  of  figs  and  olives,  as  they  were  Avhen  Jesus 
walked  among  them.  In  the  surrounding  country  the 
wandering  tribes  still  live  in  tents,  raise  their  flocks  and 
herds,  and  journey  over  the  desert  to  And  fresh  pasture 
lands,  as  did  Abraham  and  other  patriarchs  of  the  ( )hl 
Testament. 

Leaving  the  Holy  ].,and,  we  travel  southward  for  days 
under  the  fierce  heat  of  the  desert  sun.  We  pass  nuul  \  il- 
lages  of  miserable  Turks  and  encampments  of  Bedouins. 
The  drinking  water,  which  we  carry  in  goatskins,  is  luke- 
warm, the  hard  bread  and  dates  do  not  satisfy  our  hunger, 
and  we  are  in  constant  danger  of  attack  by  the  wild  tribes 
of  the  region  and  of  losing  our  horses  and  camels  if  not 
our  lives.  So  the  trip  southward  is  not  a  very  pleasant 
one,  and  we  are  glad  when  the  minarets  of  the  holy  city 
of  Mckka  come  into  view. 

If  half  of  what  Moslem  writers  say  in  praise  of  Mekka 
were  true,  then  we  sliould  have  to  believe  that  it  is  of  all 
cities  in  the  world  the  most  beautiful.  This  is  far  from  the 
truth.  It  is  situated  in  a  liot,  sandy  valley  destitute  of  trees 
and  slu-ubs  and  surrounded  by  barren  lulls.    The  streets 


liTO  ASIA 

of  tlie  city  are  deep  with  dirt  and  dust  in  the  dry  season 
and  with  mud  in  tlie  rainy  months.  The  sacred  mosque, 
the  prayer  center  of  the  A\hole  Mohammedan  world,  stands 
ill  the  lowest,  hottest  part  of  the  valley.  ^V round  it,  on  the 
slopes  of  the  surrounding  hills,  houses  of  dark  stone  rise 
tier  upon  tier.  The  mosque  is  circular  in  shape  and  sur- 
rounds the  Caaba,  a  cloth-covered,  cubical  structure  which 
contains  ;i  huge  black  stone,  the  holiest  object  on  earth  to 
a  ^lohanniicdan.  Any  jNIoslem  will  tell  you  that  this  stone 
fell  snow-wliite  from  heaven  and  landed  where  it  now  lies, 
exactly  under  tin'  tlirone  of  God,  and  that  dnring  the  long 
ages  which  have  since  passed,  it  has  gradually  turned  black 
because  of  the  sin  which  it  has  absorbed  from  the  kisses  of 
millions  of  pilgrims.  We  shall  find  it  hard  to  believe  the 
whole  story,  l)ut  one  part  of  it  at  least  is  probably  true: 
scientists  tell  us  that  the  rock  is  a  mc;teorite,  wliich  fell  from 
the  skies,  though  wlietlier  it  was  white  at  the  time  and  has 
since  turned  black,  you  may  believe  or  not  as  you  please. 

The  part  of  Arabia  which  stretches  along  the  eastern 
border  of  the  Red  Sea  was  for  many  years  under  the  rule 
of  the  Turks.  These  people  have  always  been  hated  and 
despised  by  the  Arabs,  wlio  are  their  superiors  and  who 
can  boast  of  an  ancient  civilization  in  which  art  and 
science  and  literature  reached  a  high  degree  of  perfection. 
During  the  World  War  the  Arabs  of  this  region  declared 
their  independence  of  Turkey  and  established  an  Arab 
kingdom  known  as  Hejaz.  The  holy  city  of  Mekka  is  its 
capital. 

Aden  is  the  most  important  place  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  Red  Sea.  It  is  a  British  colony,  and  on  account  of  its 
position  it  controls  the  southern  entrance  of  this  waterway 


WESTERN  ASIA 


271 


and  is  a  coaling  station  for  vessels  on  the  long  voyage  from 
European  waters  to  India,  China,  and  Japan.  It  is  also  a 
commercial  center  for  Arabian  products  and  for  those  from 
the  countries  of  Africa  bordering  on  the  Red  Sea.  Such  a 
place  is   of  course   strongly  fortified.    Everything  in   its 


&  Uuiitrwood  &  Umlerwooil 

Fici.  101.    Water  stretches  before  Aden,  and  behind  it  is  a 
Barren  Mountain  Range 

defenses  is  of  the  most  modern  type,  and  it  would  be 
aljout  as  hard  for  a  nation  at  war  with  England  to  captuic^ 
it  and  to  open  the  way  into  the  Red  Sea  as  to  take  Gibraltar 
and  unlock  the  door  of  tlie  INIediterranean. 

IIow  a  British  soldier  must  hate  to  1)0  stationrd  at 
Aden!  He  is  shut  up  in  an  intensely  hot  region  where 
his  only  companions  are  soldiers   as  miserable  as  he  is. 


272  ASIA 

Water  stretches  in  front  of  him,  and  behind  him  is  a  high, 
barren  mountain  range.  Much  of  his  food  is  supplied  by 
steamers,  and  his  drinking  water  is  distilled  from  the  sea 
by  government  condensers.  He  may  not  see  a  drop  of  rain 
during  his  entire  stay.  When  showers  do  come,  the  streams 
rush  down  from  the  mountains  and  fill  hugC  tanks  built 
centuries  ago  to  hold  the  precious  water.  This  is  carried 
around  the  town  in  skins  and  sold  to  the  natives.  There 
are  no  shady  trees,  no  attractive  gardens,  not  even  a  patch 
of  green  grass  in  sight;  everythuig  is  gray  or  brown  like 
the  rocks  and  soil. 

One  writer  says  that  Arabia,  like  its  inhabitants,  has  a 
rough,  frowning  exterior  and  a  warm,  hospitable  heart. 
The  peninsula  is  about  four  times  the  size  of  France,  and 
though  much  of  it  is  at  present  a  dreary,  barren  desert, 
nearly  two  thirds  of  its  area  consists  of  fertile  soil  which, 
with  irrigation,  might  be  made  to  produce  tine  croj)s.  The 
interior  is  a  table-land  witli  many  fertile  sections,  but  be- 
tween this  region  and  the  coast  stretclies  a  desert  area, 
surrounded  in  its  turn  by  mountain  ranges. 

The  southwestern  part  of  Arabia,  to  which  Aden  is  the 
door,  is  the  most  fertile  part  of  the  country.  In  the  valleys 
of  this  section  we  find  many  fruits  —  oranges,  lemons, 
plums,  pomegranates,  figs,  and  dates.  There  are  fields  of 
different  kinds  of  grain  —  wheat,  barley,  corn,  and  millet 
—  and  acres  of  coffee  plants.  The  wealth  of  an  Arab  is 
estimated  by  his  groves  of  date  palms  or  by  the  size  of  his 
flocks  and  herds,  so  we  are  not  surprised  to  see  on  the 
wharves  at  Aden,  besides  the  bags  of  coffee  and  the  gums 
and  resins  which  the  plants  of  the  desert  produce  abun- 
dantly, large  quantities  of  dates,  hides,  and  skins. 


WESTERN  ASIA  273 

We  should  not  enjoy  a  trip  through  Arabia.  There  are 
no  raiboads  and  no  rivers  in  the  country.  We  should  have 
to  travel  over  a  succession  of  stony  deserts  and  oases 
shaded  by  date  palms  and  past  mud  villages  and  encamp- 
ments of  tents.  There  would  be  days  when  we  should  see 
no  sign  of  life,  for  Arabia  is  veiy  thinly  inhabited.  We  do 
not  know  its  exact  population,  but  it  probably  averages  less 
than  one  person  to  a  square  mile.  Maskat  is  the  most  im- 
portant port  on  the  eastern  coast,  as  Aden  is  on  the  west. 

As  we  approacli  ]Maskat  from  the  water  it  appears  as 
unattractive  as  Aden  did.  Tlie  land  looms  up  in  a  mass 
of  dark,  rugged  mountains ;  the  town  nestles  white  at 
their  feet ;  and  the  rocks  above  are  crowned  with  castles 
and  towers.  Above  all,  the  scorching  sun  sliines  down  on 
dirty  streets,  crumbling  walls,  and  stifling  houses.  The 
bare  rocks  reflect  the  heat,  and  the  hills  shut  off  the 
breezes,  so  that  Maskat  is  one  of  the  hottest  places  on 
eartli.  The  most  important  export  is  dates,  and  in  the 
country  around,  the  date-mat  huts  of  the  Arabs  are  as 
common  as  the  black  tents  of  the  Bedouins  in  the  interior. 
]\Iost  of  the  imports  are  from  India  and  consist  largely  of 
rice,  which  is  the  principal  food  of  the  people,  and  the 
cotton  cloth  for  their  garments. 

A  book  which  describes  the  life  in  Western  Asia  is 
called  "  Topsy  Turvy  Land,"  Pcrliaps  in  yoiir  trip 
through  these  countries  you  have  noticed  some  of  the 
customs  of  the  people  and  found  some  of  the  reasons  for 
this  title.  When  going  into  a  house,  people  take  off  tlieir 
shoes  l)ut  keep  on  their  hats ;  women  usually  go  barefoot 
but  cover  their  faces  ;  the  people  use  tlieir  bread  for  plat^^s, 
and  before  the  meal  is  finished  they  eat  them ;  they  sit  on 


274  ASIA 

the  floor  of  their  houses  and.  sleep  on  the  roof;  the  Red  Sea 
is  bhie  and  the  Persian  Gulf  is  an  English  lake ;  travelers 
givet  us  by  saying  ''  Peace  be  to  you,"  and  then  proceed  to 
destroy  our  peace  by  robbing  us  of  our  animals  or  supplies. 
It  is  indeed  a  topsy-turvy  land,  but  what  do  you  suppose 
a  Turk  or  an  Arab  would  say  of  some  of  tlie  things  he 
would  see  if  he  were  making  a  trip  through  the  United 
States  ? 


TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 
I 

1.  The  IVrsian  (iulf. 

2.  Pearl  fisheries. 

3.  Mesopotamia  and  its  ancient  glory. 

4.  The  world's  date  sup])ly. 

5.  The  Tigris  River  and  the  city  of  Bagdad. 

6.  Divisions  of  Western  Asia. 

7.  The  city  of  Smyrna. 

8.  Figs  and  licorice. 

9.  The  ancient  city  of  Damascus. 

10.  A  pilgrimage  to  Mekka. 

11.  Palestine  and  Syria. 

12.  The  English  port  of  Aden. 

13.  llejaz,  Arabia,  and  Maskat. 

II 

1.  Make  a  map  of  the  Persian  (iulf  and  t!ie  surrounding  land. 
Mark  the  course  we  have  taken  on  our  trip  and  the  ijlaces  at  which 
we  have  stopped. 

2.  Find  in  cyclopedias  and  other  sources  all  you  can  about  pearl 
oysters.    Where  else  besides  in  the  Persian  Gulf  are  they  found? 

3.  Sketch  a  map  of  Western  Asia.  Trace  the  route  we  have 
followed  in  our  journey,  and  write  the  name  of  each  city  at  which 
we  have  stojiped. 


WESTERN  ASIA 


275 


4.   Fill  in  the  blanks  in  the  following  sentences : 

(t.  Mesopotamia  lies  in  the  valley  of  the and 

rivers.    Two  of  its  ancient  cities  were and  - 

h.  Dates  are  shipped  in  great  quantities  from  


c.  Bagdad    makes    iis   think    of 
,  and . 

d.  Smyrna    is    an    important   — 
,    and    . 


it   exports 


and 


5.  What  does  the  cyclopedia  tell  you  about  the  Dead  Sea? 

6.  Name  the  waters  on   which  you  would  sail  in  going  from 
Aden  to  London.     A\'hat  might  be  the  cargoes  carried  each  way? 


Be  able  to  spell  and 
2ilace  and  tell  what  was 

Persia 

Transcaucasia 

India 

Brazil 

England 

Asia  Minor 

Syria 

Mesopotamia 

Hejaz 

Irak 

Angora 

Armenia 

Holy  Land 

Palestine 

PersiaTi  (iulf 


III 

pronounce  the  follow 
said  of  it  in  this  and 

Red  Sea 
Black  Sea 
Adriatic  Sea 
Dead  Sea 
Sea  of  Galilee 
Tigris  River 
Euphrates  River 
Jordan  River 
Shat  el  Arab  River 
Mount  Ararat 
Bahrein  Islands 
Strait  of  (Gibraltar 
Smyrna 
Damascus 
Angora  (city) 


ing  names.    Locate  each 
in  any  previous  chapter. 

Beirut 

Jerusalem 

Bethlehem 

Xazareth 

INIekka 

Aden 

Maskat 

Basra 

Bagdad 

Nineveh 

Teheran 

Babylon 

Calcutta 

Constantinople 


CHAPTER  XII 
IXDTA  — THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

Rudyard  Kipling,  the  author,  who  was  born  in  India  and 
who  lived  there  for  many  years,  has  described  the  life  in 
that  country  better,  perhaps,  than  any  other  writer.  He 
says  in  one  of  his  poems. 

Oil,  East  is  East,  and  West  is  West,  and  never  the  twain  shall  meet, 

and  it  is  true  that  people  of  the  Western  world  and  these 
strange  thinkers  of  the  East  can  never  fully  understand 
each  other. 

We  have  visited  many  strange  lands  and  have  seen 
many  strange  peoples,  but  we  shall  find  in  our  trip  to  India 
scenes  fully  as  strange  and  people  fully  as  queer  as  any 
we  have  seen  elsewhere.  Of  all  the  Asiatic  nations  the 
people  of  India  are  perliaps  the  hardest  to  understand. 
A  Hindu  is  so  })olite,  so  anxious  to  please,  that  he  often 
says  what  he  thinks  one  likes  to  hear  instead  of  what  is 
strictly  true.  So  it  is  very  difficult  for  foreigners  to  find 
out  just  Avhat  Hindus  really  think  about  things.  They  are 
a  strange  contradiction.  They  would  not  hurt  or  illtreat  an 
animal,  but  they  would  allow  a  countryman  of  a  different 
caste,  or  class,  from  themselves  to  die  before  they  would 
touch  him.  They  are  very  careful  to  perform  all  their  reli- 
gious duties  regularly,  to  worship,  to  bathe,  to  make  offerings 
to  their  gods,  yet  they  arrange  a  daughter's  marriage  while 

276 


INDIA  — THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE       277 


she  is  a  mere  child,  and  then,  if  the  boy  husband  dies,  they 
neglect  and  abuse  the  little  widow  for  the  rest  of  her  life. 

The  people  of  India  are  not  naturally  cruel,  but  they  are 
led  to  do  these  and  other  strange  things  by  their  religion 
and  customs.  In 
no  other  country 
of  the  world,  per- 
haps, does  reli- 
gion enter  so 
largely  into  the 
daily  life  of  the 
people,  for  they 
bathe,  eat,  work, 
marry,  and  wor- 
ship in  accord- 
ance with  their 
religious  teach- 
ings. We  differ 
from  them  in 
many  ways,  but 
we  cannot  help 
respecting  them 
in  their  effort  to 
do  what  seems 
to  them  right. 

India  is  more 
than  lialf  as  large 

as  the  United  States.  ^I'hc  distance  I'n.m  its  extreme 
northern  boundary  to  its  southern  point  is  greater  than 
from  the  northern  part  of  Maine  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
si5:sippi  River.    The  difference  hi  climate  l.rtwccn  northern 


riuKTHiiuil  .V  I'mUrwooil 

Fi(i.  102.   Ok  All  Asiatic  ^ATlONS  Tin;  I'loixe 
OK  India  aue  the  Hardest  to  undekstand 


278  ASIA 

and  southern  India  is  much  greater  than  between  New- 
England  and  the  states  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
In  the  north  are  the  snow-clad  peaks  of  the  Himalayas,  and 
in  the  south  are  the  burning  lands  of  continual  summer. 

The  different  parts  of  the  country  vary  as  much  in  sur- 
face as  they  do  in  climate.  Near  the  coasts  there  are  low 
plains  covered  with  dense  jungles,  which  receive  a  heavier 
rainfall  than  any  other  place  in  the  world.  In  the  interior 
there  are  high,  dry  plateaus  with  almost  no  rainfall  and 
where  irrigation  is  necessary  for  the  production  of  crops. 

Down  from  the  mountains  in  the  north  flow  several  large 
rivers  —  the  mighty  Brahmaputra,  the  sacred  Ganges,  and 
the  swift  Indus.  These  are  the  great  highways,  the  great 
fertilizers,  and  the  great  irrigators  of  India.  Every  year  they 
bring  from  the  mountains  thousands  of  tons  of  silt,  which 
they  drop  on  their  low  flood  plains  or  deposit  at  their 
mouths.  When  the  snows  melt  on  the  mountains  and  the 
tropical  rains  come,  these  mighty  rivers  swell  to  torrents 
and  overflow  their  banks,  flooding  hundreds  of  square  miles 
and  often  doing  great  injury  to  towns  and  villages,  fields  and 
crops.  In  some  sections  a  network  of  canals  fed  by  such 
rivers  supplies  the  means  of  irrigation,  furnisliing  water  in 
the  dry  season  for  the  growing  crops  and  serving  also  in 
some  districts  as  highways. 

Great  Britain  controls  this  great  nation,  and  the  king 
appoints  a  viceroy  to  rule  India.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
important  officials  in  the  United  Kingdom,  and  he  needs 
to  be  very  brave,  tactful,  just,  and  honest  in  order  to 
rule  successfully  these  millions  of  people  of  widely  differ- 
ing races,  whose  customs  and  ideals  are  so  unlike  those 
of  the  British. 


INDIA  — THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE      279 


India  is  divided  into  several  large  provinces,  at  the  head 
of  each  of  wliich  is  a  governor  or  a  heutenant  governor. 
Besides  these  larger  divisions  there  are  several  smaller 
states,  in  wliich  the  native  rulers — the  rajahs,  the  mahar 
rajas,  and  lesser  officials — have  been  allowed  to  retain  their 
positions  under  the 
oversight  of  a  British 
resident,  who  rarely 
interferes  so  long  as 
they  are  loyal. 

There  are  probabl}' 
less  than  a  hundred 
thousand  British  in 
India,  ruling  over  its 
three  hundred  million 
people ;  yet  the  gov- 
ernment is  so  well  or- 
ganized and  so  wisely 
admmistered  that  life 
and  property  m  most 
parts  of  the  country 
are  as  safe  to-day  as 
they  are  in  England. 

Railways  have  been  extended,  great  irrigation  systems  con- 
structed, roads  built,  expfjrts  and  imports  increased,  and  the 
country  and  the  people  benefited  in  many  ways.  W'r  can  go 
by  train  to  most  of  the  large  cities,  and  although  tlic  cars  are 
not  so  luxurious  as  those  to  which  we  are  accustomed,  they 
are  better  than  slow,  lumbering  oxcarts.  In  India,  wlicre  the 
wages  of  the  majority  <»f  wcirkcrs  vary  fioni  f«»ur  or  live 
to  twenty  cents  a  day,  tiic  mass  of  the  [icoph-  arc  not  used 


©  U.  C.  While  Co. 

Fio.  103.   The  Cities  ok  Ini)i.\  ake 

CKOWDKD    WITH    NATIVES 


280 


ASIA 


to  luxuries,  and  it  would  be  foolish  to  provide  plush-covered 
seats  for  men  and  women  accustomed  to  squat  on  the  mud 
floor  of  a  hut.  Each  traveler  takes  with  him  his  mattress, 
blankets,  cooking  utensils,  and  anything  else  he  may  need  on 

a  long  journey, 
and,  in  the  case 
of  the  wealthy, 
a  servant  to  care 
for  them.  The 
poor  classes  get 
along  with  less 
luggage,  for  the 
Hindu  can  go  to 
sleep  anywhere 
and  on  anything. 
He  wraps  him- 
self in  the  folds 
of  his  long  robe 
and  curls  down 
in  the  sunshine; 
undisturbed  by 
the  noise  or  the 
crowds,  or  by  the 
hard  ground  or 


Tig 


•i^  luderwood  &  Underwood 

10-1.    To  ski:  1\eal  Indian  Life  we  siust 
VISIT  One  of  the  Villages 


board  on  which 

he  is  lying,  he  is 

soon  fast  asleep. 

In  the  large  cities  there  are  such  swarms  of  natives  that 

we  wonder  if  there  are  any  left  to  fill  the  country  places. 

Crowded  though  the  cities  are,  comparatively  few  of  the 

people  live  in  them.    Nine  tenths  of  the  population  of  India 


INDIA— THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE      281 

are  farmers  and  live  in  villages  near  their  little  farms. 
Some  of  the  provinces  are  among  the  most  densely  popu- 
lated areas  of  the  world.  Bengal,  the  province  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  India  in  which  Calcutta  is  situated,  has  an 
average  population  of  nearly  six  hundred  to  a  square  mile. 
To  see  the  real  Indian  life,  therefore,  we  must  visit  one 
of  the  thousands  of  villages  scattered  through  the  country. 
Most  of  them  lie  off  from  the  main  highways,  and  the  ma- 
jority of  the  inhabitants  have  never  been  more  than  a  few 
miles  from  home.  An  Indian  village  is  really  a  little  world 
in  itself.  Many  of  the  articles  necessary  in  their  simple 
lives  are  made  by  the  villagers,  and  their  little  farms  supply 
tlieir  food.  Then  clothing  causes  them  but  little  thought. 
Rudyard  Kipling  says, 

The  uniform  'e  wore 

Was  nothing  much  before, 

And  rather  less  than  'arf  of  that  be'ind. 

Some  of  them  make  a  more  elaborate  costume  by  twisting 
some  yards  of  muslin  around  the  waist  and  another  piece 
over  the  shoulder.  The  dress  of  the  women  is  .similar,  only 
more  yards  of  cloth  are  used.  In  the  cities  we  may  see  a 
few  men  who  have  adopted  our  style  of  dress,  but  all  thi'. 
farming  population  and  the  laborers  dress  in  native  fasliioii, 
and  everywhere  in  th(;  villages  we  shall  see  draped  bodirs 
and  bare  brown  feet  and  legs. 

There  are  villages  in  the  open  fields  and  the  jungles,  on 
mountain  slopes  and  high  plateaus,  by  i-ushing  streams  ami 
in  arid  plains;  but  although  the  situation  may  ditl'cr,  llic 
villages  themselves  are  all  much  alike.  Ileie  is  one  sIk  I- 
tered  by  coconut  and  mango  tnM's,  wliieli  we  will  elioo.so 


282  ASIA 

for  our  visit.  Hear  the  nioukeys  chattering  in  the  branches! 
There  are  a  great  nuiiiy  of  them,  and  they  are  very  tame 
because  the  people  never  frighten  or  injure  them,  monkeys 
as  well  as  some  otlier  animals  being  connected  with  their  re- 
ligion. The  queer  little  houses  are  made  of  sun-dried  bricks 
and  clay  and  are  covered  with  a  thatch  of  palm  leaves.  All 
the  dwellings  are  small,  but  they  vary  from  a  little  one- 
room  hut  to  a  collection  of  several  buildings  surrounded  by 
mud  walls.  Except  among  the  poor  people  the  women's 
part  of  the  house  is  separate  from  that  used  by  the  men. 
You  must  remember  that  many  of  the  people  of  India  are 
Mohammedans,  and  in  a  INIohammedan  family  the  women 
are  seldom  seen  in  public.  Many  of  the  Hindus  have 
ad(^pted  this  custom  of  keeping  the  women  secluded,  and 
most  of  those  whom  we  shall  see  working  in  the  fields  and 
in  the  streets  with  the  men  are  of  the  poorer  classes.  There 
is  little  furniture  in  the  houses ;  the  great  mass  of  people  in 
India  need  but  little,  as  they  sit,  eat,  and  sleep  on  the  floor. 
In  the  houses  of  the  well-to-do  you  would  iind  chairs,  stools, 
or  swinging  benches,  but  many  of  the  poorer  people  would 
be  as  uncomfortable  sitting  in  chairs  as  you  would  be  on 
the  floor.  Do  you  see  those  mats  and  pillows  rolled  up  in 
a  bundle  in  a  corner  of  the  rooni?  Those  are  the  beds.  At 
night  they  are  unrolled  and  spread  out  on  the  floor.  In  some 
of  the  houses  you  may  see  a  small  cot,  but  most  of  the  family 
use  the  floor  for  a  sleeping  place. 

In  the  poorer  houses  the  kitchen  is  often  out  of  doors. 
In  the  northern  part  of  the  country  the  people  cook  and 
eat  ui  the  house  (hiring  the  winter,  but  in  the  southern  sec- 
tions the  climate  is  so  warm  that  they  live  out  of  doors  the 
year  round.    The  provisions,  such  as  millet,  wheat,  rice, 


INDIA— THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE       283 

curry,  and  vegetables,  are  kept  in  earthen  pots  around  the 
sides  of  the  room  or  in  a  storehouse  built  for  the  purpose. 

Near  the  houses  are  small  gardens  where  cucumbers,  peas, 
greens,  onions,  and  beans  are  raised.  The  pastures  and  laro-e 
fields  are  away  from  the  village,  and  the  people  often  go 
several  miles  to  their  work.  They  never  tliink  of  living,  as 
farmers  m  our  country  do,  in  lonely  houses  on  their  farms. 
A  man  may  camp  in  his  fields  during  the  busy  season,  and 
when  the  crops  are  ripe,  some  member  of  the  family  often 
stays  in  a  rude  shelter  which  has  been  built  in  the  fields, 
and  guards  the  precious  crops  against  thieves. 

Let  us  take  a  walk  through  the  village.  Near  the  center 
is  the  temple  where  the  people  worship,  and  m  front  of  it 
is  a  large,  shallow  tank  of  water  in  which  the  people  l)iith{>. 
Frequent  bathing  is  a  part  of  the  religion  of  the  Hiinhis, 
and  they  attend  to  it  as  regularly  as  we  do  to  washing  our 
faces  and  hands. 

People  rise  very  early  in  the  morning  in  India,  as  then- 
liardest  work  must  be  done  l)efore  the  siui  gets  too  liot. 
The  men  and  boys  go  immediately  to  batlie,  wliile  the  A\omen 
sweep  the  house  and  drive  away  ill  luck  for  the  day  l)y 
spreading  manure  mixed  with  mud  over  the  yards  and 
courts.  Then  they  go  to  wash  and  to  get  fresh  watci'  lor 
llie  house.  See  how  straight  they  arc  and  how  gnicfriilly 
they  walk  with  the;  licavy  watci-  jais  on  tlicir  heads. 

Jt  docs  not  take  long  to  prcpaii;  the  licc  or  the  wheal 
cakes  for  breakfast  and  to  get  the  bnttenuilk  and  some  kind 
of  spiced  hot  vegetable  or  hot  sauce.  'I'he  men  eat  lirst  and 
tlien  the  women  and  girls.  How  should  yon  like  to  use  tlie 
floor  for  a  table,  plantain  leaves  I'or  plates,  and  lingers  for 
knives  and  forks?    'J'he  boys  come  home  from  school  to  eat 


284  ASIA 

\vitli  the  iiuMi.  School  before  breakfast,  you  exclaim!  Yes, 
iiidcrd,  .scliool  begins  at  six  o'clock  iii  the  morning  and  con- 
tiiuies  most  of  the  day.  The  boys  come  home  for  breakfast 
between  eiglit  and  nine  and  for  dinncu"  between  one  and 
two.  The  girls,  as  a  rule,  do  not  attend  school,  and  com- 
paratively few  of  the  boys,  considering  the  millions  of 
people  who  live  in  India. 

After  the  men  and  perhaps  some  of  the  women  have  gone 
to  their  work  in  the  fields,  the  women  who  are  left  at  home 
get  the  vegetables  ready  for  dinner,  pound  the  unhusked 
rice  with  a  wooden  mallet,  grind  the  millet  between  two 
large  stones  to  make  flour,  and  prepare  the  curry  to  make 
the  hot  sauce  of  which  the  people  are  so  fond. 

If  you  had  no  watch  or  clock  to  look  at,  you  would  hardly 
know  when  to  go  to  dinner,  but  the  Hindus  tell  time  very 
readily  by  the  sun.  They  know  by  its  height  when  it  is 
mealtime  and  when  to  take  the  sheep  and  cattle  out  of  the 
folds  and  drive  tliem  to  pasture.  Their  rising  bell  is  the 
morning  star,  and  by  its  light  they  feed  the  cattle,  bathe, 
go  to  the  temple  for  worship  and  to  the  well  to  draw  water 
for  cooking  and  for  irrigating  tlie  tliirsty  fields. 

Parts  of  India  are  very  dry,  thougli  in  the  rainy  season 
there  is  plent}'  of  water  which  runs  to  waste.  The  melting 
snows  of  tlie  Himalaya  Mountains  supply  an  abundance  in 
the  north,  while  the  Ganges  and  Indus  rivers,  with  their 
many  branches,  carry  immense  quantities  to  eastern  and 
western  parts  of  the  country.  In  the  central  and  south- 
ern portions  the  farmers  collect  the  surplus  rainfall  in 
reservoirs. 

Let  us  stop  for  a  moment  and  watch  the  men  irrigating 
their  fields.    The  wells  of  India  are  sometimes  ten  or  fifteen 


INJ3IA  — THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE      285 

feet  in  diameter,  and  the  month  is  nsnally  l)nilt  abont  with 
a  stone  wall.  A  tall  pole  with  a  groove  in  tlie  top  stands 
at  the  edge  of  the  well.  In  this  groove  runs  a  bamboo  rope 
or  pole,  to  one  end  of  which  is  fastened  a  huge  skin  bag 
capable  of  holding  several  gallons;  to  the  other  end  a  pair 


)  Underwood  *  T'lidcrwood 

Fig.  105.    As  the  Bullocks  walk  away  thk  Dkii-i'Ing  Bag 

SLOWLY'   KISES 

of  bullocks  are  fastened.  Now  they  are  l)ack('d  u^)  closr  to 
the  well,  and  the  bag  is  down  in  the  water.  As  the  bullocks 
walk  away  the  dripping  bag  .slowly  rises  until  it  reaches 
the  mouth,  where  two  men  seize;  it  and,  through  a  leather 
spout,  turn  the  precious  water  intd  Utile  eliamiels  eouiieet- 
ing  with  the  gardens.  Tbis  they  do  over  and  over  again 
until  the  hot,  dry  land  has  drunk  its  (ill.    Sometimes  the 


280  ASIA 

work  at  the  well  is  kept  u})  all  da}"  while  other  men  in  the 
fields  are  busy  building  up  mud  banks  between  some  of 
the  gardens  and  breaking  them  down  between  others,  so 
that  the  water  may  reach  all  parts. 

( )iic  of  the  most  inipoi-tant  improvements  which  England 
has  made  in  India  is  in  its  systems  of  irrigation.  Millions 
of  dollars  have  been  spent  in  building  reservoirs,  canals, 
and  dams,  and  large  areas  of  land  have  thus  been  made 
useful. 

Have  you  read  of  the  terrible  famines  in  India  ?  When 
there  is  no  food  for  the  people,  and  no  money  to  buy  any, 
when  the  inhabitants  of  large  areas  are  starving,  the  gov- 
ernment furnishes  relief  by  hiring  men  and  women  from 
the  famhie  regions  to  work  on  roads,  railroads,  and  irri- 
gation Avorks.  Many  of  the  reservoirs  and  canals  have 
been  built  by  what  is  known  as  famine  labor,  and  two  ob- 
jects have  been  gauied :  the  laborers  have  earned  enough 
money  to  keep  themselves  and  their  families  from  starva- 
tion, and  the  works  which  are  built  lessen  the  danger  of 
more  famines. 

Starvation  or  plenty  in  India  depend  on  the  monsoons, 
those  winds  which  shift  with  the  seasons  and  brmg  a  heavy 
rainfall  to  the  land.  In  the  summer  India  is  intensely  hot — 
hotter,  in  fact,  than  most  lands  in  the  same  latitude.  The 
lofty  range  of  the  Himalayas  to  the  north  serves  as  a  high 
wall  to  shut  in  the  tropical  heat  and  to  keep  out  the  cooler 
winds  from  northern  regions.  The  moisture-laden  air  from 
the  ocean,  being  cooler  than  that  over  the  land,  blows  in 
from  the  sea.  The  great  mountain  wall  acts  as  a  condenser, 
and  throughout  large  parts  of  India  heavy  rains  fall  during 
the  hot  season. 


INDIA— THE  LAND  AXI)  THE  PEOPLE       287 

Most  of  the  farmers  are  very  poor;  they  lay  up  nothing 
from  year  to  year,  and  so  are  dependent,  as  you  see,  upon 
the  regularity  of  the  monsoons.    The  rainy  wind  seldom 


li. 


lO'l.      M.I.    IKJW    JIE    CAIUUK.S    HIS    \\a1;|.»    is      \    <    I    ):i'<i   -    liv>Kl-.i' 

o\  HIS  Back 


fails  them,  but  when  it  does  there  is  terrible  suffering,  and 
in  the  regions  where  the  monsoon  fails  to  appear,  thousands 
of  men,  women,  and  children  and  millions  of  cattle  starve 


288  ASIA 

to  death.  At  the  beginning  of  this  century  India  suffered 
from  one  of  the  worst  famines  in  her  history,  in  which  it  is 
estimated  that,  before  the  new  crops  appeared,  nearly  one 
and  a  halt'  million  people  starved  to  death.  As  more  rail 
roads  are  built  by  which  food  sui)plies  can  be  rushed  to 
the  sufferers,  and  as  more  irrigation  works  are  completed 
which  will  make  dependence  on  the  monsocms  less  general, 
the  chances  of  such  awful  disaster  grow  less  and  less. 

Let  us  continue  our  walk  tlnough  the  village.  The  in- 
habitants are  not  all  farmers ;  there  are  other  occupations 
which  the  needs  of  the  people  have  called  forth  and  which 
are  carried  on  nearly  everywhere  in  India.  The  potter  is 
one  of  these  village  servants.  He  makes  the  earthen  pots 
for  cooking,  for  storing  vegetables  and  grain,  and  for  carry- 
ing water.  See  how  he  carries  his  wares  in  a  curious  basket 
on  his  back.  Let  us  follow  him  to  his  home  and  watch 
him  at  work.  There  is  a  little  pile  of  clay  which  he  has 
dug  up  and  l)rought  lK)me  to  use.  He  sifts  some  of  it  and 
from  one  of  his  jars  pours  some  water  over  the  sifted  mass. 
Now  he  treads  the  wet  clay  over  and  over.  His  wife  comes 
out  to  help  him,  and  together  they  will  knead  it  with  their 
feet  for  houis  until  it  is  a  smooth,  soft  paste.  The  potter 
then  takes  a  quantity  in  his  hands  and  molds  it  into  a  ball, 
which  he  shapes  into  the  desired  form  by  holding  it  against 
a  revolving  wooden  wheel.  With  some  tools  he  puts  on 
some  finishing  touches  and  then  sets  the  jar  aside  in  the 
hot  sun  to  dry.  Some  jars  are  simply  sun-dried  like  the  one 
before  us,  while  others  are  baked  in  a  kiln.  For  thousands 
of  years  the  village  potters  have  made  jars  for  food  and 
water  in  just  the  same  w  ay,  with  the  same  materials  and 
the  same  tools  which  the  man  before  us  is  using. 


©lIn(lerw.>..M  ..   i   ,,,1 1 

Fig.  107.  For  Thousands  of  Years  the  Village  Potters  have  maue 
Jars  for  Food  anu  Water  in  just  the  Same  Way 


280 


290  ASIA 

Down  by  the  stream  the  village  washerman  is  beating 
long  pieces  of  cloth  on  the  stones  and  spreading  them  on 
the  grass  to  dry.  lie  collects  the  clothes  from  the  houses 
uud  hiiiigs  lluMii  oil  his  donkey  to  the  stream,  where  he 
rinses  I  hem  and  beats  tlu'in  on  stones  and  spreads  them  in 


^'  Uiulerwoofl  &  I'nderwood 

Fig.  108.    Down  by  the  Stream  the  Washermen  are  beating  the 
Clothes  and  spreading  them  out  on  the  Grass  to  dry 

the  sun  to  dry.  His  father  and  grandfather  before  him  held 
the  office  of  village  washerman,  and  after  him  his  sons  and 
grandsons  will  do  the  same  kind  of  work.  It  is  the  usual 
custom  in  India  for  every  boy  to  follow  the  trade  of  his 
father.  Among  the  common  working  classes  which  make 
up  the  bulk  of  the  po{)ulation  it  would  be  an  almost 
unheard-of  thing  for  a  son  to  engage  in  a  new  occupation. 


INDIA  — THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE       291 

If  we  had  time,  we  might  visit  the  village  carpenter,  who 
makes  the  carts,  yokes,  hoes,  sickles,  wooden  spoons,  and 
other  articles  which  the  people  need,  or  we  might  stop  to 
watch  the  village  blacksmith  shoe  the  oxen  and  ponies, 
make  the  iron  share  for  the  plow  or  mend  a  broken  one,  or 
make  a  hmge,  an  ax,  a  lock,  or  a  reaping  hook.  His  work- 
ing place  is  nnder  a  tree  or  in  his  thatched  Imt,  and  his 
cnstomers  come  from  many  scattered  villages. 

Another  village  workman  who  always  has  plenty  of 
work  on  hand  is  the  goldsmith.  There  are  no  banks  in 
Indian  villages,  and  if  the  people  save  any  money,  they  have 
no  safe  place  in  which  to  keep  it,  unless  they  bury  it  in  the 
uround.  Some  do  this,  but  more  of  them  exchange  it  for 
bracelets,  anklets,  finger  rings,  nose  rings,  and  other  or- 
naments, so  that  a  man's  wealth  is  often  shown  by  the 
amount  of  jewelry  which  he  and  his  wife  wear.  If  IMother 
Goose  had  lived  in  India,  her  familiar  couplet  might  have 
read  as  follows : 

Rings  on  her  fingers  and  one  in  her  nose, 
Rings  on  her  arms  and  her  ankles  and  toes, 
She  carries  her  riches  wherever  she  goes. 

See  those  two  men  squatting  on  the  ground,  facing  each 
other.  AVhat  in  the  world  are  they  doing  ?  Such  a  sight 
is  a  very  common  one  in  India.  One  ol"  the  men  is  the 
village  ])arber,  and  a  viny  im[)()rtant  workman  he  is,  too,  in 
spite  of  his  small  e(iui[)ment  of  roughly  nuidc,  razors,  rusty 
scissors,  and  a  small  brass  (;up.  He  carries  a  small  piece  ol 
iron  to  pare  the  nails  of  the  fingers  and  toes  of  liis  custom- 
ers. He  has  with  him  also  a  thorn  extractor,  wliich  is  a  very 
necessary  tool  where  all  the  people  go  Imrefoot. 


Of)0 


ASIA 


F'^*b'  '-'^^^^A 


©  L'mlci  wood  &  Underwood 

Fi(!.  10!t.    One  of  thk  Men  is  the  Village  Babber 

We  must  surely  visit  the  bazaar  man,  or,  as  we  should 
call  him,  the  storekeeper.  His  shop  is  a  mud  hut,  or  shed, 
with  baskets  and  earthen  pots  arranged  in  rows  and  tiers  to 
hold  his  goods.  Do  3'ou  wish  to  buy  some  ginger,  pepper, 
cloves,  coriander  seed,  tamarinds,  coconuts,  dates,  or  sugar 


INDIA  — THE  LAXD  AND  THE  PEOPLE      293 

candy  ?  Perhaps  you  would  like  instead  some  betel  leaf 
and  nuts,  which  the  natives  of  Lidia  chew  more  univer- 
sally than  boys  and  girls  here  chew  gum.  Chewing  the 
betel  leaf,  however,  does  not  improve  one's  appearance, 
as  it  turns  the  gums  and  saliva  a  bright  red  and  makes 
the  teeth  dark. 

The  priest  in  an  Indian  village  is  a  busy  man.  lie  not 
only  conducts  the  services  in  the  little  temple,  or  mosque, 
but  he  is  consulted  by  the  villagers  to  decide  many  impor- 
tant questions.  One,  perhaps,  wishes  to  know  the  lucky  day 
on  which  he  may  buy  a  new  bullock ;  another  is  planning 
to  build  a  house,  and  asks  the  priest  to  name  the  right  day 
for  him  to  commence  the  work  ;  another  is  waiting  to  know 
on  which  day  to  have  his  daughter's  wedding ;  while  a 
fourth  asks  him  to  name  the  person  who  stole  his  sheep. 
Most  of  the  farm  work  is  planned  according  to  the  lucky 
days  which  the  priest  names,  and  few  farmers  will  begin 
any  piece' of  work  without  consulting  him. 

There  are  still  otlier  workers  in  the  village  whom  we  have 
not  seen  —  the  schoolmaster,  the  oil  presser,  the  watchman, 
the  letter  writer,  and  the  basket  maker.  Besides  these  there 
are  beggars,  poets,  musicians,  and  fakirs.  The  people,  how- 
ever, are  not  the  only  objects  of  interest;  there  are  the  bul- 
locks and  buffaloes  and  donkeys  (whicli  in  India  take  the 
place  of  liorses)  and  the  sliccp  and  goats.  In  sonic  places 
in  nortlicrn  India  we  shall  lind  ele|)hants  diawing  loads, 
plowing,  and  doing  otlier  work.  Snakes  abound  all  througii 
the  country  ;  they  are  so  numerous,  and  the  bites  of  several 
kinds  are  so  poisonous,  that  more  than  twenty  thousand 
people  and  five  thousand  cattle  die  from  snake  bites  every 
year.     One  reason  why  so  many  natives  are  killed  in  this 


294  ASIA 

way  is  because  they  go  bai-efoot  and  so  are  easily  bitten 
by  snaki's  hitblcii  in  the  grass. 

Ill  parts  of  IiuUa-  the  tiger  is  the  animal  luost  dreaded. 
He  is  so  sly  and  so  hard  to  catch  that  in  some  villages 
the  natives  do  not  try  to  capture  him,  even  though  he 
makes  nightly  visits  to  the  i)lace  and  carries  off  a  nice  fat 
sheep  tor  iiis  supper.  Iliiiulrcds  of  people  and  many  times 
as  many  cattle  are  killed  each  year  l)y  this  trea(;herous 
beast. 

Lizards  and  frogs  are  very  com-non  in  the  villages;  they 
catch  many  Hies  and  mosquitoes,  which  during  parts  of 
the  year  are  a  great  pest.  If  we  were  to  remain  over- 
night in  an  Indian  village,  we  might  find  a  centipede  on 
the  bed,  a  scorpion  on  the  wall,  or  a  tarantula  crawling  on 
the  floor.  Perhaps  with  these  things  in  mind  you  will  not 
care  to  stay  longer  in  the  place.  As  we  leave  the  little 
brown  houses  and  make  our  way  through  the  wheat,  millet, 
and  sugar-cane  fields,  we  wonder  whether  we  have  been 
more  entertained  by  the  queer  sights  we  have  seen  than 
the  natives  have  been  by  our  white  skins,  queer  clothes, 
and  strange-sounding  language. 

roiMCS  FOR  STUDY 

1 

1.  Ilimlu  character. 

2.  Size  of  India. 

3.  Surface  and  drainage. 

4.  Government. 

5.  Traveling  in  India. 

6.  Irrigation  in  India. 

7.  Monsoons  and  their  effects. 

8.  A  visit  to  an  Indian  village :  costumes,  houses,  religion,  daily 
life,  food,  schools,  workers,  animals. 


INDIA  — THE  LAND  AND  THE  PEOPLE       295 

II 

1.  Which  workmen  in  an  Indian  village  should  joxi  best  like  to 
be  ?   Describe  your  work. 

2.  Sketch  a  map  of  India.    Sliow  its  great  rivers  and  the  sur- 
rounding countries  and  waters. 

3.  Look  in  a  cyclopedia  and  find  a  desc^ription  of  these  rivers, 
(live  a  lecture  to  the  class  on  one  of  thcni. 

4.  Contrast  a  Hindu  village  with  oue  in  Chiua.  Write  a  list  of 
tlie  differences;  of  the  resemblances. 

iir 

Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chajiter. 

Maine  Brahmaputra  Kiver 

Bengal  Ganges  River 

Calcutta  ludus  River 
Himalava  Mountains 


CHAPTER  XIII 


SOMI-:   INDIAN  CITIES 

Let  us  visit  some  of  the  cities  of  India,  as  the  life  there 
is  very  different  from  that  in  the  country  portions.  India 
is  a  hmd  of  vilhiges  and  has  few  laige  cities  in  proportion 

to  its  population.  It 
contains  three  times 
as  many  people  as 
the  United  States, 
yet  it  lias  only  two 
cities  with  more  than 
one  million  people, 
while  tlie  United 
States  has  three.  In- 
dia has  twelve  cities 
of  more  than  two 
hundred  thousand 
people ;  in  our  coun- 
try there  are  nearly 
three  times  as  many. 
Bombay  is  the  eye 
of  India,  looking 
toward  the  Western  world.  The  larger  part  of  the  foreign 
commerce  is  carried  on  from  this  city,  and  most  of  the 
travelers  who  enter  and  leave  the  country  pass  through 
this  port.  It  is  the  richest,  most  up-to-date,  and,  next  to 
Calcutta,  the  largest  city  of  India. 

290 


©  H.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.  110.    Bombay    is  the  Eye  of  India, 
looking  toward  the  western  world 


SOME  IXDIAX  CITIES 


297 


Some  of  the  men  in  the  streets  are  dressed  in  European 
costume,  but  most  of  them  show  the  scanty  drapery,  the 
abundant  jewehy,  the  odd  headchess,  and  the  bare  brown 
feet  and  legs  that  we  saw  in  our  trip  through  the  villages. 

In  Indian  cities,  as  in  those  of  other  countries  of  the 
East,  the  foreigners  live  in  a  section  by  themselves,  and  it 
would  be  possible  for  us  to  stay  for  years  in  Bombay  or 
Calcutta  without  see- 
mg  the  real  Indian 
life.  The  streets,  the 
shops,  the  tram-cars, 
the  society,  are  veiy 
similar  to  those  in 
England,  while  the 
mills  and  factories, 
with  their  modern 
machinery,  remind  us 
of  Manchester,  Leeds, 
and  Bradford. 

Old  India,  with  its  ©  h.  c.  wi.itc  co. 

temples,     its     fakirs,       Ff-  Hl-    Tm;  Native  Quartkr  ok  Bombay 

1  ,  IS    DiHTV    AM»    CUOWDKI* 

its    snake    charmers, 

its  dirt  and  smells,  and  its  crowded  bazaars,  is  not  far  away. 
Perhaps  it  will  be  well  for  us  to  go  to  this  native  portion 
of  the  city  first,  and  then  we  can  all  the  Ix'tter  appreciate 
the  purer  air  and  the  cleaner  streets  of  the  foreign  part. 
Tlie  native  quarter  of  Bombay  is  dirty  and  crowded. 
Hundreds  of  tlie  natives  have  no  liomes,  and  live  and 
sleep  under  carts,  in  sheds,  or  in  tin;  streets,  'riiere  are 
many  cook  shops  scattered  through  tlu'  city,  and  in  them 
these  outcasts  sc^metinies  buv  foo<l. 


298  ASIA 

The  narrow  houses  of  Bombay,  four  and  five  stories  high, 
in  which  the  natives  are  packed,  are  very  different  from 
the  small  one-story  cabins  of  the  villages.  Heavy  wooden 
shutters  take  the  place  of  windows  and  keep  out  the  heat 
much  better.  There  is  more  room  in  the  courts  and  yards 
at  the  back  of  some  of  the  houses  than  appears  from  the 
street.  A  good  deal  of  loom  is  necessary  because  of  the 
large  families.  Newly  married  couples  in  India  do  not  set 
up  housekeeping  alone  by  themselves.  The  bridegroom 
always  brings  his  bride  to  his  father's  house,  which,  if  there 
are  several  sons,  gets  crowded  as  time  goes  on.  In  many 
buildings,  therefore,  the  people  are  packed  so  close  together 
that  they  cannot  live  in  a  comfortable,  healthful  way,  and 
when  the  dreaded  epidemics  of  the  bubonic  plague,  small- 
pox, or  cholera  find  their  way  into  the  city,  the  people  of 
these  crowded  districts  die  by  hundreds.  During  one  plague 
epidemic  in  Bombay  there  were  for  a  tmie  five  hundred 
deaths  a  day  from  this  one  disease. 

How  full  the  narrow  streets  are !  Here  are  hurrying 
coolies  with  heavy  burdens  on  their  heads,  fashionable 
rubber-tired  carriages,  and  rude  bullock  carts.  The  driver 
of  the  street  car  clangs  his  bell  constantly  to  Avarn  the 
crowds  out  of  the  way.  The  stores,  which  occupy  the  lower 
story  of  tlie  houses,  have  no  windows  or  doors  but  are  open 
to  the  street,  and  the  half-naked  merchant  squats  in  the 
midst  of  his  wares.  We  should  not  like  to  remain  here  long, 
as  the  odor  of  Eastern  spices  and  perfumes,  mixed  with 
the  smell  of  the  perspiring  crowds,  is  not  pleasant. 

There  are  queer  sights  all  around.  See  that  carpenter 
squatting  on  the  ground,  holding  between  his  toes  the  board 
which  he  is  planing.    Look  at  that  white  cow  sniffing  the 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES 


299 


vegetables  displayed  for  sale,  and  now  and  then  helping 
herself  to  a  dainty  mouthfnl.  Few  Hindus  would  speak 
harshly  to  a  cow  or  strike  it  or  even  drive  it  away.    The 


i;   I   ii.|ir« I  .t  I  iiil.r« 

Fig.  112.    Tin:  Cows  coxnectki>  with  tiii:  Tkmplks  roam  fkkely 

THROUGH    THE    STREETS 


cow  is  held  sacred  in  India,  and  tliosc;  coimcctcd  w  itli  tlie 
temples  are  allowed  to  roam  freely,  resting  in  the  streets 
or  helping  themselves  to  food  wherever  they  choose. 


300 


ASIA 


Are  those  scantily  dressed  laborers  women  or  men? 
Some  of  them  are  men,  but  many  of  them  are  women  of 
the  poorer  classes.  On  their  heads  are  piles  of  bricks  which 
they  are  carrying  to  the  mason  who  is  working  on  that 
liigh  building.  Some  of  these  mason's  assistants  do  not 
look  more  than  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  though 


Fi<;.  118.    AVi;  akk  in  the  Land  or  Snakes  and  Snake  Ciiaumers 


they  may  be  .several  years  older.  Perhaps  one  reason  why 
they  do  not  grow  taller  is  because  of  the  custom  of  carryuig 
heavy  burdens  on  their  heads  when  they  are  very  young. 
We  are  m  the  land  of  snakes  and  snake  charmers. 
There  is  a  crowd  gathered  around  a  man  squatting  on  the 
corner  with  his  basket  of  snakes  before  him.  See  !  he  opens 
the  basket  and  plays  softly  upon  a  little  pipe  which  he 


SOME  IXDIAN  CITIES  301 

holds  in  his  mouth.  The  snakes  hke  the  music  and  come 
crawhng  out  of  the  basket.  They  curl  up  in  front  of  the 
man  and  raise  then-  heads  to  listen,  swaying  gently  from 
side  to  side.  The  charmer  catches  hold  of  one  in  a  safe 
way  and  puts  it  around  his  neck  or  allows  it  to  t\\ine 
itself  about  his  arm. 

These  snakes  are  cobras,  the  most  dreaded  and  the  most 
dangerous  reptiles  of  India.  Sometimes  their  poisonous 
fangs  have  been  extracted  before  the  charmer  handles 
them.  Sometimes  he  boasts  that  this  has  not  been  done 
and  that  he  can  charm  them  so  that  they  will  not  bite  him, 
or,  if  they  do,  he  claims  to  have  a  holy  stone  in  his  mouth 
whicli  will  prevent  the  poison  from  taking  effect.  It  is  a 
strange  sight  and  one  which  we  do  not  particularly  enjoy, 
so  we  are  glad  to  leave  the  place  and  make  our  way  into 
the  part  of  the  city  where  the  foreigners  live  and  work. 

Wherever  Western  hifluence  touches  an  oriental  city  we 
iiud  the  streets  broader,  straighter,  and  cleaner,  the  Imild- 
ings  finer,  and  the  peo[)le  less  crowded.  Xo  city  in  the 
world  has  finer  pul)lic  buildings  than  Bombay.  The}'  are 
built  of  stone  and  are  arranged  with  line  artistic  effect. 
On  one  side  of  a  broad  boulevard,  facing  the  ocean,  are 
grouped  buildmgs  of  the  University  of  Bombay,  tlie  library, 
the  post  office,  the  government  lieadquarters,  the  city  hall, 
and  the  Victoria  Railroad  station,  one  of  the  finest  and 
largest  in  the  world.  Besides  these  there  are  tlic  mint, 
the  sailors'  home,  the  high  school,  hospitals,  churches,  and 
other  institutions.  Some  of  these  l)uildings  have  been  built 
by  the  city,  and  many  arc  the  gifts  (»f  wealthy  residents. 

Many  of  the  wealthy  i)eoj)le  are  l*arsis,  descendants  (if  tlie 
ancient  fire  worshipers  of  ]*ersia.    'J'liey  still  cling  to  their 


302 


ASIA 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  114.  The  Victoria  Railroad  Station  in  Bombay  is  One  of  the 
Finest  in  the  World 


old  religion  and  use  fire  in  all  o£  their  religious  ceremonies. 
The  sacred  fire  in  their  temples  is  never  allowed  to  go  out. 
They  have  many  peculiar  customs  which  distinguish  them 
from  the  Hindus,  one  of  which  is  the  mamier  of  burying 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES 


303 


their  dead.  Both  earth  and  fire  are  sacred  in  their  eyes,  so 
they  will  neither  bury  nor  burn  their  dead.  Perhaps  you 
have  heard  of  their  ''  towers  of  silence  "  in  Bombay.  They 
are  immense  white  structures  forty  feet  high  and  seventy 
or  eighty  feet  in  diameter,  on  the  top  of  which,  radiatmg 
from  the  center  like  spokes  in  a  wheel,  are  compartments 
in  which  the  bodies  are  placed  so  that  vultures  may  pick 


•  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  115.   The  Towers  of  Silexce  of  the  Paksis  are  Immense 
White  Structures 

the  flesh  from  tlio  Ijoiics.  Tliouin'h  this  custom  seems  honible 
to  us,  the  Parsis,  many  of  whom  are  refined,  educated 
people,  consider  it  less  dreadful  than  any  other  method 
of  disposing  of  the  dead. 

Let  us  take  a  ride  along  the  Queen's  Road,  named  for 
the  good  Queen  Victoria.  There  is  no  finer  drive  in  any 
city  of  the  world.  The  splendid  pn])li('  l)uildings  on  one 
side,  tlu!  ocean  view  on  the  other,  ami  IIjc  Ijidad,  sliadeil, 
well-kept  avenue  make  us  forget  the  entwded,  unattractive 
quarters  of  the  natives.    On  a  ridge  of  liills  at  one  end  of 


304  ASIA 

Bombay  is  Malabar  Point,  where  the  governor  Hves  and 
where  there  are  many  fine  residences  and  beautiful  bunga- 
lows with  broad  piazzas,  gardens,  and  shade  trees.  If  any 
cooling  breeze  from  the  water  is  stirring,  it  is  sure  to  touch 
this  narrow  pohit  of  land. 

Across  the  country  to  the  northeast  is  Calcutta,  the 
largest  city  of  India  and  for  many  years  the  capital.  In 
1911,  during  the  visit  of  the  king  and  queen  of  England, 
it  was  decided  to  change  the  capital  to  Delhi,  a  very  inter- 
esting city  which  we  shall  A^sit  later. 

We  can  go  from  Bombay  to  Calcutta  by  rail  in  about 
forty  hours.  We  must  not  forget  to  take  with  us  our  roll 
of  bedding  and  a  basket  with  plates,  cup,  biscuits,  fruit, 
and  canned  foods.  Everybody  accustomed  to  travel  in 
India  carries  tlicso  things,  and  no  provision  is  made  for 
those  who  do  not  follow  the  customs  of  the  country. 

We  will  travel  tirst  class,  and  aUhough  we  are  accustomed 
to  the  luxury  of  Western  trains,  we  shall  find  those  in  India 
very  comfortable.  In  the  second-class  cars  the  benches  are 
too  narrow  for  beds,  and  there  is  danger  of  rollmg  off  if 
we  attempt  to  turn  over.  They  are  too  wide  for  seats  in 
the  daytime,  unless  we  curl  up  cross-legged  as  the  natives 
do.  In  the  third-class  cars  the  natives  are  often  packed 
chjser  than  we  should  pack  animals.  Eastern  people  like 
going  in  crowds,  and  Hindus  do  not  object  to  bemg 
crowded  by  others  of  their  own  class. 

Calcutta  is  situated  a  hundred  miles  from  the  Bay  of 
Bengal,  on  the  Hugh  River,  one  of  the  mouths  of  the 
Ganges.  The  delta  plain  of  the  river  —  low,  level,  moist, 
and  covered  with  a  luxuriant  vegetation  —  is  one  of  the 
largest  m  the  world.    We  pass  hundreds  of  small  villages 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES  305 

nestling  in  the  jungle,  the  low  mud  huts  shaded  by  taper- 
ing coconut  trees,  feathery  bamboos,  and  broad-leaved 
banana  trees.  Each  village  has  its  little  temple,  and  near 
it  its  dirty  tank,  which,  as  one  writer  says,  gives  the  place 
its  water  and  its  malaria. 

I  wonder  if  you  will  be  disappointed  hi  Calcutta.  Parts 
of  it,  where  the  great  factories  and  mills  and  business 
houses  are  situated,  are  not  very  different  from  similar 
portions  of  Western  cities.  Even  here,  however,  the  street 
scenes  make  us  realize  that  we  are  still  in  the  Eastern 
world.  There  is  a  strange  medley  of  people  and  teams. 
Look  out,  as  you  cross  the  street,  that  you  are  not  run 
down  by  an  automobile,  an  electric  car,  or  by  that  si)len- 
did  carriage  witli  its  liveried  footman  and  coachman,  and  its 
prancmg  horses.  How  c^ueer  it  seems  to  see  such  convey- 
ances side  by  side  with  rude,  sprmgless  bullock  carts  and 
perspiring  coolies  staggermg  under  heavy  loads.  How 
should  you  like  to  ride  after  a  pair  of  bullocks  ?  The 
driver  sits  close  behind  the  animals,  and  occasionally  twists 
their  tails  or  kicks  them  with  his  bare  feet  when  he  wishes 
to  go  faster.  We  shall  see  hundreds  of  such  conveyances 
on  our  trip  through  India,  as  they  are  used  everywhere. 
In  some  parts  of  the  country  the  wheels  of  the  carts  are 
solid,  roughly  rounded  pieces  of  wood,  and  the  jolting  of 
such  teams  is  painful  Inisiness  for  the  passengers. 

As  the  sun  gets  lower  in  the  sky  we  w  ill  take  a  driven 
througli  the  Chowringhee,  the  finest  street  in  Calcutta.  We 
are  astonished  to  see  such  splendid  buildings,  churclu's, 
hotels,  clubs,  and  shoj)S,  lining  one  side  ot'  the  aNcnuc 
The  stores  remind  us  of  those  in  large  cities  in  I  he  rnitcfi 
States.    There  are  many   when^  the  display  of  jcwi-lry  is 


30G 


ASIA 


f asciiiatuig ;  the  windows  show  all  kinds  of  glittering 
gems,  dainty,  delicate  ornaments,  and  heavy  chains  and 
girdles.  Rich  native  princes,  when  dressed  for  some  festive 
occasion,  wear  a  great  (juantity  of  jewelry  ;  poor  coolies 
invest  their  savings  in  gems  and  ornaments  instead  of  in 
the  bank,  and  this  custom  accounts  for  the  scores  of  small 
jewelry  stores  which  arc  found  in  every  city  of  India. 


'     1   ,,.,;,  .Mid  &  Uuderwood 

Fig.  IIG.    Wk  \vii,i,  take  a   Kide  thuolgh  the  Chowkingiiee,  the 
Finest  Stkeet  in  Calcutta 

Most  of  the  natives  of  Calcutta  do  not  patronize  these 
fine  large  shops  on  the  Chowringhee,  but  buy  their  goods 
much  more  cheaply  at  the  bazaars.  It  will  not  do  us  much 
good  to  go  there,  as  every  native  merchant  puts  his  prices 
up  to  exorbitant  figures  wlien  he  sees  a  foreigner  approach- 
ing. The  best  way  for  us  to  do  is  to  visit  the  bazaars  and 
look  at  some  of  the  wares,  and  then  to  get  some  native  to 
make  our  purchases  for  us.    Even  though  he  helps  himself 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES  307 

to  what  he  considers  a  fan-  commission,  the  total  price  is 
much  less  than  what  we  should  have  had  to  pay. 

We  have  been  so  interested  in  these  curious  shops  that 
we  have  given  no  attention  to  tlie  other  side  of  the  street. 
The  CUiowringhee  extends  along  the  edge  of  a  line  park 
whicli  stretches  for  miles  along  the  river.  IIow  beautiful 
it  is !  There  are  imposing  monuments  and  shady  Avalks, 
and  smooth  drives  tln-ougcd  with  all  kinds  of  carriages 
filled  with  people  in  every  variety  of  costume  that  one 
can  imagine. 

There  are  several  names  which  you  can  apply  to  Cal- 
cutta, and  your  choice  will  depend  on  the  impression 
which  the  city  makes  on  you.  Jf  beautiful  buildings  and 
elaborate  architecture  attract  you,  you  may  call  it  The 
City  of  Palaces.  If  you  are  sensitive  to  smells  as  you  ride 
through  the  narrow  streets  of  the  native  quarter,  you  may 
call  it,  as  one  writer  does.  The  Place  of  Stenches.  If  in 
your  rambles  you  pass  some  of  the  six  hundred  tanks 
where  the  natives  bathe,  you  may  call  it  The  City  of  Filthy 
Tanks.  Perhaps  your  visit  happens  to  be  in  the  summci-, 
when  the  tropical  sun  shines  down  on  the  low  land  with 
so  fierce  a  heat  that  the  i)a\('m('nts  scoi-ch  your  feet,  and 
the  anklets  and  l)racelets  alnujst  lairn  the  liiuhs  nf  the 
natives.  In  order  that  you  may  l)reathc  ihroiigh  thr  lint, 
stifling  night,  a  coolie  })ulls  steadily  at  the  V(i\)v  attached  to 
the  punkah,  the  canvas  fan  fastened  to  the  ceiling  of  yonr 
room.  As  you  lie  panting  in  the  intolerable  lu-at,  perhaps 
the  most  appropriate  luunc  tliat  yon  can  think  of  is  The 
City  of  Terrible  Nights. 

During  the  hot  season,  on  the;  streets,  sidewalks,  (h)tir- 
steps,   and  in   the  parks,   seoics   and    hnndreds   of   natives 


308  ASIA 

can  be  seen,  covered  from  head  to  foot  in  their  long  gar- 
ment, consisting  of  a  single  strip  of  cloth,  sleeping  soundly 
in  spite  of  dirt  and  noise  and  heat. 

Many  of  the  wealthy  people  and  the  officials  leave  the 
city  during  this  season,  as  the  heat  is  so  great  that  few  white 


©  Underwood  i  Underwood 

Fig.  117.    Simla  is  a  Gay  Little  Place  nestling  among 
THE  Mountains 

people  can  endure  it.  The  higher  officials  and  their  families 
go  to  Simla,  a  gay  little  place  in  the  mountains,  where  during 
the  summer  months  they  combine  work  and  play. 

Simla  has  a  population  of  about  fifteen  thousand  in  the 
winter  and  about  twice  as  many  in  the  summer.  Hand- 
some buildmgs  with  every  convenience  have  been  erected 
for  government  purposes,  so  that  the  work  of  the  officials 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES 


309 


goes  on  with  little  interruption.  There  are  lovely  summer 
residences  and  cool  tents  for  camping,  from  which  one 
can  enjoy  beautiful  views,  snowy  peaks,  deep  valleys,  and 
narrow  gorges.  There  are  drives  and  parties,  tennis  and 
golf,  and  all  kmds  of  gayeties  during  the  time  that  the 
visitors  from  the  plams 
make  it  their  home. 

Nestling  among  the 
Himalayas,  nme  thou- 
sand feet  above  sea 
level,  is  Darjeeling, 
another  summer  resort 
as  gay  as  Simla.  In 
the  thinnest  of  thin 
clothmg  we  will  leave 
Calcutta  in  its  tropical 
jungles,  its  fern  trees, 
and  its  awful  heat. 
The  road  winds  slowly 
upward,  between  acres 
and  acres  of  tea  planta- 
tions, toward  the  great 

mountain  wall,  and  in  less  tlian  twenty -four  hours  we  are 
glad  of  thick  clothing  in  whicli  to  enjoy  the  magniiicent 
view  which  Darjeeling  affords. 

No  such  array  of  snow-capped  peaks,  innnense  snow 
fields,  and  blue  glaciers  can  be  seen  anywliere  else  hi  the 
world.  Mt.  Everest,  the  highest  peak  on  earth,  is  less 
than  one  hundred  miles  away  and  beautiful  in  the  hazy 
distance.  For  nearly  two  thousand  miles  along  the  northern 
boundary  of  India  stretches  this  innnense  mountain  wall. 


*-^  ~ 

■  ■  9 

Ihi 

iii^Hi 

©  II.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.   118.     No   Si;cii    Akkay   of    Snow- 
capped Pkaks  can  be   seen  anywiieue 
else    in   the    wokld 


310  ASIA 

which,  by  its  lofty  heiijjht,  its  fierce  winds,  its  deep  snows, 
and  its  awful  cold,  protects  India  from  invasion  better  than 
the  best  drilled  and  equipped  army  could  possibly  do. 

The  mountain  banier  which  separates  the  British  pos- 
sessions from  the  rest  of  Asia  contains  several  passes,  but 
so  far-streteliing^  are  the  deserts  beyond,  so  bleak  and 
barren  tlu;  country,  that  little  travel  is  possible  through 
most  of  them.  There  are  two,  however,  on  which  England 
keeps  a  watchful  eye.  One,  beyond  Darjeeling,  is  the  pass 
through  which  for  centuries  caravans  loaded  with  tea, 
opium,  wool,  hides,  silk,  and  cotton  have  passed  between 
India  and  China.  The  other  way  through  the  mountains 
on  the  northwestern  frontier  is  the  Khyber  Pass.  This  is 
India's  back  door,  th(!  only  way  by  land  from  western  and 
central  Asia  to  the  British  possessions.  Probably  no  other 
spot  in  the  entire  area  of  more  than  one  and  a  half  million 
miles  has  given  government  officials  so  much  anxiety  as 
this  one  narrow  gateway  al)out  thirty  miles  long.  A  noted 
traveler  in  India  expresses  in  a  humorous  way  a  good  deal 
of  the  real  feeling  of  England  when  he  says,  "  Every  time 
there  is  a  stir  in  a  clunii)  of  bushes,  every  time  a  board 
creaks  in  the  floor,  every  time  a  footstep  is  heard  under 
the  window,  the  goose  flesh  rises  on  John  Bull's  back,  and 
he  imagines  the  great  llussian  bear  is  smelling  round  the 
back  door  of  his  empire!  in  India." 

For  centuries  this  narrow  gorge  has  been  the  only 
overland  route  into  India.  The  kmgs  of  commerce  and 
the  masters  of  war  ha^■e  all  used  it,  and  if,  as  many 
English  fear  may  sometime  happen,  other  nations  ever  do 
invade  India,  they  will  be  forced  to  make  use  of  this  high- 
way.   England  watches  with  great  concern  the  doings  of 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES 


311 


other  nations  in  this  part  of  Asia.  Every  commercial  treaty, 
every  peaceful  alliance  which  they  may  make  with  the 
countries  in  southwestern  Asia,  is  followed  by  increased 
vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  English  over  this  route,  by 
which  alone  India  can  be  entered  on  its  landward   sido. 


©  UnderwooJ  &  Uudtrwood 

Fig.  119.    For  Centuriks  the  Khyber  Pass  has  been  the  only 
Overland  Route  into  India 


At  present  the  British  contrcjl  both  ends  of  the  Khyber 
Pass.  It  is  guarded  by  the  Afridi,  wild  tribes  of  the 
region,  who  are  paid  annually  both  by  the  English  and  by 
the  Ameer  of  Afghanistan.  In  return  tlu^y  agree  to  allow 
no  armed  troops  to  cross  the  pass  without  the  consent  of 


312  ASIA 

the  nations  at  both  ends.  The  Afridi  promise  also  to  pro- 
tect all  travelers  crossing  the  pass  on  two  days  of  each 
week.  On  these  days  the  trip  through  the  high  mountain 
pass  is  comparatively  safe,  and  you  would  be  protected  by 
the  very  tribesmen  who  on  any  other  day  might  rob  you 
of  all  your  valuables.  On  tliese  days  the  pass  is  crowded 
with  caravans.  J^ines  of  camels,  mules,  and  donkeys  come 
and  go  from  Persia,  Afghanistan,  and  the  countries  of 
Central  Asia  to  India. 

The  Ameer  of  Afghanistan  is  paid  many  thousand  dol- 
lars a  3'ear  to  guard  his  end  of  the  pass  and  to  keep  his 
wild  tribes  in  as  peaceable  a  state  as  possible.  The  Ameer, 
however,  is  very  independent,  easy  to  take  offense,  and 
not  entirely  to  be  trusted,  and  the  English  depend  more 
on  their  efforts  to  keep  liim  in  good  Immor,  and  to  make 
him  realize  the  advantages  of  an  alliance  with  them,  than 
on  his  loyalty. 

Near  the  southern  end  of  the  Khyber  Pass  we  will  take 
a  train  down  to  the  (ianges  valley,  where  some  of  the 
oldest  and  most  interesting  cities  of  India  are  situated. 
The  railroad  follows  the  great  trunk  road  of  India,  which 
for  centuries  has  been  the  route  by  which  people  from 
beyond  the  mountains  have  reached  the  cities  and  the 
riches  of  the  Ganges  valley.  For  fifteen  hundred  miles 
the  great  highway  runs  through  the  heart  of  India,  shaded 
part  of  the  way  with  fine,  large  trees.  The  smooth,  hard 
division  in  the  middle  takes  the  quick  traffic,  while  the 
rougher  roads  at  the  sides  are  for  the  heavy  carts.  To 
journey  on  this  road  is  to  see  India.  Even  since  the  build- 
ing of  the  railroad  it  is  traveled  by  occasional  caravans  of 
camels  and  more  rarely  by  elephants,  while  mules,  donkeys. 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES  313 

and  bullock  carts  are  ever  upon  it.  Long-haired  beggars, 
gayly  dressed  villagers,  strolling  jugglers,  sellers  of  sweet- 
meats and  of  holy  Ganges  water,  strong-armed  women  who 
are  to  serve  as  earth  carriers  where  new  railroads  are 
building,  pilgrims,  potters,  barbers,  and  priests  come  and 
go  in  the  crowd  with  which  the  road  is  constantly  filled. 
The  first  city  at  which  we  will  stop  is  Delhi,  the  present 
capital  of  India.  Once  upon  a  time,  as  all  Eastern  stories 
begm,  the  jNlohammedans  conquered  India,  and  the  great 
]\Ioguls,  as  their  rulers  were  called,  sat  m  ancient  Delhi  upon 
the  peacock  throne.  This  is  the  most  famous  throne  on 
which  any  ruler  ever  sat.  It  consists  of  a  block  nearly  six 
feet  square  covered  with  gold,  inlaid  with  all  manner  of 
precious  stones,  and  mounted  on  golden  feet.  Behind  this 
block  there  stood  ui  former  years  two  great  peacocks  with 
outspread  tails.  The  wonderful  circles  and  colors  and  eyes 
of  a  peacock's  tail  were  represented  by  diamonds,  pearls, 
rubies,  sapphires,  emeralds,  and  other  gems  set  so  wonder- 
fully that  the  effect  was  that  of  a  living  bird.  AVhen  the 
Persians  invaded  India,  they  carried  away  tliis  wonderful 
throne,  which,  minus  the  peacocks,  is  still  used  by  the  shah. 
Many  people  of  India  think  that  Delhi  should  always 
have  remained  the  capital  of  the  country,  and  are  glad  that 
it  has  again  been  made  so.  It  is  splendidly  situated  iji  the 
fertile  Ganges  valley  on  the  routi;  to  the  western  count  ties 
and  nearly  ecpiidistant  from  Calcutta  and  Boml)ay,  the  two 
largest  cities  of  India.  It  receives  much  raw  material  from 
northern  regions  both  within  and  beyond  the  Indian  border. 
.  Directly  north  of  Delhi,  in  the  part  of  India  which 
stretches  northward  to  tlu;  Hindu  Kiish  Mountains,  is  the 
land  of  Kashmir.    Most  of  the  people  of  this  part  of  India 


814 


ASIA 


are  herders  and  keep  many  camels  and  large  flocks  of  aheep 
and  goats.  These  furnish  the  tine,  soft  under  wool,  or  down, 
from  which  for  (('uturics  cashmere  cloth  and  especially  the 
famous  cashmere  sluiw  Is  have  been  made.    These  wonderful 

shawls,  so  fine  and 
soft  that  you  could 
draw  one  through 
your  napkin  ring, 
are  woven  and  em- 
broidered in  the  huts 
of  the  people  of 
Kashmir.  In  a  trip 
through  Kashmir 
wc  slionld  hear  the 
clatter  of  the  loom 
in  many  a  house, 
and  through  its  o[)en 
front  could  watch 
the  people  weaving 
cloth,  rugs,  and 
shawls.  'J'hese  are 
loaded  onto  camels, 
and  the  caravans 
slowly  wend  their 
way  southward  for 
three  hundred  miles  to  Delhi,  which  is  the  distributing  point 
for  these  fabrics.  A\^e  should  think,  from  the  quantities  of 
shawls  displayed  in  the  bazaars  and  shops  of  Delhi,  that 
most  of  the  people  of  India  must  be  engaged  in  making 
them,  but  we  are  told  that  most  of  them  come  from  the  one 
province  of  Kaslnnir.    These  shawls  are  not  so  fashionable 


Fi 


I  Underwood  &  Underwood 

120.     Wk   can    watch  the  Pkoi-le   of 
Kashmir  weaving  Shawls 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES 


315 


in  Europe  and  America  as  they  once  were-  but,  wrapped 
in  folds  around  the  head,  they  are  worn  by  many  of  the 
young  men  of  northern  India.  This  head  covering  is  as 
common  there  as  straw  hats  and  soft  caps  are  here.  The 
shawls  wear  for  long  years  and  are  usually  handed  down 
from  father  to  son   as   a  part   of   the  family  udieritance. 

You  will  see  otlier  beuutifid  fabrics  in  Delhi,  for  since 
the  time  of  the  Mogul 
emperors  it  has  been 
one  of  the  centers  of 
Indian  art.  You  can 
find  there  exquisite 
ivory  carving,  so  fine 
and  delicate  that  the 
artist  spent  years  of 
his  life  in  makmg  a 
small  piece.  Y"ou  can 
find  silks  and  satins 
heavy  with  emljroid- 
ery  of  gold  and  silver 
thread.  The  corona- 
tion   robe    of   Queen 

Alexandra  was  made  in  Delhi,  and  many  ladies  of  the 
no})ility  in  England  and  other  European  countries  order 
from  tliis  Indian  city  materials  for  costly  dresses. 

Let  us  ride  down  the  main  street  of  Dellii.  It  is  a 
splendid,  broad  thoroughfare  lined  with  fascinating  sliops 
in  which  are  display e<l  jewelry,  shawls,  rugs,  carved  ivory, 
and  embroideries.  We  do  not  need  to  get  out  of  our 
carriage,  as  the  merchants  from  both  sides  of  the  street  rush 
out  to  us  and  run  alcnigside,  pushhig  one  another  out  of 


Fig.  121.    Lkt  us  kide  down  the  Main 
Street  of  Delhi 


316  ASIA 

tlie  way,  liolding  up  samples  of  their  wares,  and  jabbering 
as  fast  as  their  tongues  can  go.  We  cannot  understand 
a  word  they  say,  but  their  gestures  and  their  expression 
tell  us  that  they  are  urging  us  to  buy  and  saying  that 
their  goods  are  much  better  and  cheaper  than  those  of  the 
other  merchants  whom  they  thrust  aside  in  the  scramble. 
It  is  amusing  at  first  but  soon  becomes  tiresome,  and  we 
give  up  our  idea  of  buying  anytliing  and  go  instead  to 
see  some  of  the  wonderful  buildings  of  Delhi,  relics  of 
the  luxury  and  wealth  of  the  Mogul  emperors. 

In  the  center  of  the  city  stands  one  of  the  most  famous 
mosques  in  tlie  world.  One  writer  tells  us  that  it  took  ten 
thousand  laborers,  working  daily  for  ten  years,  to  complete 
the  great  structure.  The  walls  of  gleaming  marble  and  dull 
red  sandstone  and  the  immense  domes  of  white  marble 
trimmed  with  black  make  a  picture  of  Mohammedan 
architecture  which  we  shall  never  forget. 

On  the  plains  about  Delhi  are  ruins  of  temples,  tombs, 
forts,  and  palaces  dating  back  for  more  than  two  thousand 
years.  ]More  than  half  a  dozen  cities  have  occupied  in  turn 
the  site  of  the  present  Dellii,  and  each  has  left  some  relic 
to  tell  of  its  wealth  or  beauty  or  strength.  Some  of  the 
tombs  are  marvelous  buildings  of  white  marble,  and  we 
think  as  we  look  at  them  that  they  must  be  liner  than  any 
in  other  parts  of  the  world. 

There  is,  however,  not  far  away  at  Agra,  a  Iniildhig  far 
more  beautiful  than  any  of  these  at  Delhi.  Indeed,  it  is 
said  to  be  the  most  beautiful  building  ever  erected  any- 
where in  the  world.  It  is  called  the  Taj  Mahal.  It  was 
built  in  the  seventeenth  century  by  the  most  famous  of  the 
Mohammedan  emperors  as  a  tomb  for  liis  favorite  wife. 


SOME  india:n^  cities 


317 


It  took  twenty  thousand  workmen  more  than  twenty  years 
to.  build  it,  and  it  cost  more  than  twenty  million  dollars. 
As  we  approach  we  can  see  its  domes  and  mmarets,  but  we 


©  H.  V.  Whili-  Vi>. 

Fig.  122.    Xo   Othkii   Woman   evkk  had  Sich  a  .Mo.sl.ment  kukctlij 

TO    HEK    MeMOUY 


are  not  prepai-(^<l  for  tlic  beauty  wliidi  bursts  upon  us  as 
we  enter  the  garden.  The  l)^ildin<^^  a  jewel  of  pure  wliite 
marble,  rises  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  the  terrace 
on  which  it  stands  —  so  pure,  so  [jcrfect,  that  we  find  it 


318  ASIA 

almost  impossible  to  believe  that  it  is  the  work  of  human 
hands.  'J'he  marble  of  the  interior  is  set  with  precious 
stones  and  traced  with  delicate  carvings.  It  is  said  that 
the  whole  of  the  Koran,  the  Mohammedan  Bible,  is  inlaid 
in  black  mosaic  upon  the  inner  walls. 

]n  the  center  of  the  building,  resting  on  the  floor  of 
marble  and  jasper,  is  the  mausoleum  containing  the  tombs 
of  tlie  emperor  and  empress.  This  is  completely  covered 
with  carvings  of  flowers  so  dainty  and  delicate  that  it  looks 
like  satin  covered  with  embroidery.  The  roses,  lilies,  carna- 
tions, and  otlicr  llowci's  are  made  in  their  natnral  colors  by 
inset  gems.  In  one  single  carnation  there  are  said  to  be 
thirty-flve  varieties  of  carnelian  stone.  Perhaps  some  of 
you  have  seen  a  mosaic  pin  in  which  different  stones  are 
set  in  some  design.  'J'lie  finer  mosaics  are  very  valuable, 
as  it  takes  great  skill  and  a  long  time  to  do  the  work 
well.  It  seems  impossible  to  believe  that  upon  the  walls 
ol'  the  Taj  Mahal  there  are,  as  is  estimated,  alxmt  two 
acres  of  surface  covered  with  fine,  delicate  mosaic  work. 
Every  variety  of  precious  stone  has  been  used  to  pro- 
duce the  Avonderful  effects.  No  equal  amount  of  such 
Avork  can  be  found  in  any  otiier  building  in  the  world. 
No  other  woman  ever  had  such  a  monument  erected  to 
her  memory. 

It  is  hard  to  tear  ourselves  away  from  the  Taj  Mahal,  for 
it  presents  more  beauties  every  time  we  look  at  it.  In  the 
morning  sunshine,  in  the  fading  twilight,  most  of  all  in  the 
silvery  moonlight,  it  seems  unreal  and  like  some  heavenly 
mansion  let  down  from  the  sky,  and  as  we  drive  away  we 
watch  for  a  last  glimpse  of  its  slender  white  minarets 
against  the  blue  sky. 


^  UiiiliTwouil  *  riidiTwood 

Fig.  123.    Mosques  and  TtMi-LES  uave  Thousands  ok  Worshii-kks 


319 


320  ASIA 

We  will  follow  the  Ganges  River  until  we  arrive  at  the 
city  which  to  a  foreigner  is  perhaps  the  most  interesting 
place  in  India  —  Benares,  the  holy  city  of  the  Hindus.  Every 
Hindu  and  every  sick  person  in  India  wishes  to  go  to  Be- 
nares to  die  in  order  that  he  may  be  sure  of  happiness  in 
the  next  life.  Nothing  on  earth  makes  a  Hindu  so  happy 
as  to  bathe  in  the  Ganges  and  thus  wash  away  his  sin. 
Trainloads  and  cartloads  of  pilgrims  arrive  daily  in  the 
great  city.  Thousands  walk  to  it  from  great  distances, 
canying  no  luggage  except  a  brass  bowl  for  religious  cere- 
monies, a  gourd  for  drinking  purposes,  and  a  bottle  for 
holding  the  holy  water  of  the  river.  Dead  bodies  are  sent 
to  Benares  to  be  burned,  and  the  ashes  are  scattered  on  the 
waters  of  tiie  sacred  river.  We  of  the  United  States  cannot 
imagine  such  a  place.  One  must  see  it  to  realize  that  a  city 
like  Benares,  with  its  two  hundred  thousand  people,  its  two 
thousand  temples,  its  twenty-five  thousand  priests,  and  its 
five  hundred  thousand  idols,  really  exists. 

We  shall  see  many  things  in  the  streets  to  interest  us. 
They  are  lined  with  tall  houses  in  which  it  is  probable  that 
there  are  more  old  and  sick  people  than  in  any  other  city 
in  the  world.  Tliere  are  palaces  built  by  wealthy  Hindus 
who  expect  to  become  holier  by  living  for  a  part  of  each 
year  m  the  holy  city.  In  the  little  shops  with  open  fronts 
you  can  find  every  kind  of  brass  bowl  imaginable,  as  each 
pilgrim  must  have  one  to  use  in  worship.  There  are  shops 
with  idols  and  rosaries  for  sale,  and  stall  after  stall  filled 
with  freshly  gathered  flowers.  Every  idol  in  the  city  is 
decorated  with  them,  every  temple  receives  bushels  each 
day,  and  floral  offerings  of  every  description  are  scattered 
in  quantities  on  the  waters  of  the  river. 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES 


321 


Why  does  that  man  He  on  a  bed  of  spikes  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  temple  ?  He  is  a  fakir,  a  very  pious  Hindu, 
and  he  believes  that  the  more  he  tortures  his  body  the 
holier  he  is. 

Why  does  that  woman  keep  falling  down  ?  Is  she  ill  ? 
No,  but  it  seems  as  thougli  slie  would  be,  for  she  has  l)een 


Fig.  124.   The  Juggler  thhi-sts  his  Swokd  again  and  again  into 
THE  Basket 

prostratmg  herself  all  the  way  around  the  city  like  an 
inchworm,  falling  and  extending  the  length  of  Iier  body 
on  the  ground,  drawing  herself  up  again,  and  then  repeat- 
ing the  process  over  and  over.  She  thinks  that  she  will 
gain  much  more  favor  witli  the  gods  by  making  her  pilgrim- 
age in  tliat  difTicult  way  than  if  she  went  as  nature  intended 
that  she  should,  on  her  two  feet. 


322  ASIA 

\V'lial  wonderful  thing  is  that  juggler  on  the  corner 
doing  that  he  has  drawn  such  a  crowd  about  him?  He  it-' 
doing  the  famous  mango-tree  trick,  which  is  considered 
the  most  wonderful  sleight-of-hand  performance  that  even 
Hindu  jugglers,  wlio  are  the  most  skillful  in  the  world,  can 
perform.  Il(^  takes  a  mango  seed,  [)lants  it  in  a  little  pol, 
and  covers  it  with  earth.  In  a  minute  or  two  lie  removes 
the  cover  and  shows  you  a  tiny  green  sprout,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  more  you  see  the  small  plant.  Each  time  that  he 
removes  the  cover  the  tree  is  larger,  until  it  finally  ))ecomes 
a  small  l)usli,  l)earing  fruit  which  he  picks  and  hands  to 
you.  ^Ou  rub  your  eyes  in  amazement  and  wonder  if  you 
are  dreaming.  Hut  look  sharp  !  He  is  fastening  that  naked 
l)i'own  boy  into  an  empty  basket  which  stands  l)efore  him. 
Now  he  picks  up  a  sword  which  lies  at  his  side.  See  him 
jab  it  again  and  again  into  the  basket !  Hear  the  cries  of 
the  poor  child !  lx)()k  at  the  blood  on  the  sword !  How 
hoi'rible,  you  say.  Yes,  but  see,  here  comes  the  child  run- 
ning out  from  across  the  garden  })lot,  laughing  at  your 
astonished  faces !  Nobody  knows  how  the  juggler  does 
such  wonderful  things.  Experts  fnmi  Western  countries 
have  watched  Indian  jugglers,  but  some  of  their  tricks 
still  remain  unexplained. 

How  full  the  narrow  streets  of  the  poorer  })arts  of  the 
city  are  !  There  are  hundreds  of  pilgrims,  wretched  widows, 
sac'red  bulls,  and  buffaloes  with  loads  of  wood  on  their 
backs.  Perhaps  you  wonder  why  the  people  in  a  city  on 
the  boundary  of  the  torrid  zone  need  so  nuich  wood.  Let 
us  go  for  a  row  on  tlu;  river  and  you  will  see  what  is  done 
with  it.  Benares  stretches  for  two  miles  along  the  Ganges. 
I'he  bank  on  which  the  city  lies  is  steep  and  crowded  with 


SOME  INDIAN  CITIES  323 

houses  and  palaces,  above  wliich  rise  liuudreds  of  temples. 
Leading  down  to  the  ^Yater  are  immense  flights  of  steps ; 
these  are  crowded  with  people,  some  going  down  and 
others,  in  dripping  garments,  comhig  up  from  the  river 
and  holding  carefully  in  one  hand  the  bottle  filled  with 


©  Inderwood  &  IndtTwood 

Fig.  125.   The  Bank  on  which  Benakes  lies  is  Steep  and  Ckowued 

WITH  Houses,  and   Immense   Flights  of  Steps,   usually  Crowded 

WITH  People,  lead  down  to  the  Water 

liiily  water.  Each  liatlier  takes  a  swallow  Jidiii  I  lie  muddy, 
lilthy  river.  It  makes  one  sick  to  think  of  drinking  such 
stuff,  but  the  Hindu  does  not  mind  tlu;  dirt,  lu-hcving,  as 
lu;  does,  that  by  the  diink  and  the  l)ath  Ik;  has  washed  all 
liis  sins  away.  See  tli(i  Ijonlii'cs  on  the  bank  !  'i'liey  arc 
funeral  jjiles  where  the  bodies  of  the  dead  ar(!  l)eing  buined. 
The  more  money  one  has  to  buy  wood,  the  larger  lire  he 


32-1 


ASIA 


can  afford.  It  is  for  these  funeral  fires  that  the  buffaloes 
were  brmgin*^  their  loads  into  the  city.  The  wood  is  heaped 
up,  the  body  is  laid  on  the  pile,  more  wood  is  put  on,  and 
it  is  then  set  on  ih-e.  Afterward  tlu^  men  scatter  the  bones 
and  ashes  hi  the  river  and  the  mourners  go  home  believing 


Fig.  120.    See  ttie  Bonfires  on  the  Bank 

that  the  dead  |)erson  has  by  tliis  ceremony  attained  eternal 
happiness.  It  is  a  sad  sight,  and  we  wonder,  as  avc  leave 
the  scene  to  continue  our  journey,  whether  these  religious 
people  will  ever  realize  that  the  worship  of  their  hideous 
idols  does  them  no  good,  that  the  drinkmg  of  the  filthy 
water  of  their  holy  river  spreads  disease  and  suffering,  and 
that  the  customs  and  religion  of  the  Western  world,  which 
to-day  they  scorn,  are  infinitely  better  than  their  own. 


SOME  IXDIAX  CITIES  325 

TOPICS  FOR   STUDY 
I 


1.  Size  of  Indian  cities. 

2.  Description  of  Bombay. 

3.  The  Parsis  and  their  "  towers  of  silence." 

4.  Traveling  in  India. 

5.  Descrijition  of  Calcutta. 

6.  Simla,  the  summer  capital. 

7.  Darjeeling. 

8.  The  Khyber  Pass. 

9.  England  and  Russia  in  Asia. 

10.  The  great  trunk  road. 

11.  Delhi,  the  capital  of  India. 

12.  The  vale  of  Kashmir  and  cashmere  shawls. 

13.  The  Taj  Mahal. 

14.  Indian  jugglers. 

15.  The  holy  city  of  Benares. 


II 


1.  Sketch  a  map  of  India  and  on  it  show  all  tlii-  places  mentioned 
in  this  chapter. 

2.  Xame  any  cities  in  the  United  States  that  are  about  as  large 
as  Bombay;  as  Calcutta.  See  if  you  can  find  any  other  cities  of  the 
world  in  about  the  same  latitude. 

3.  Compare  the  Ganges  River  and  the  Mississipjd  in  respect  to 
length,  direction,  deltas,  cities,  industries,  traffic. 

4.  AVhat  other  famous  old  buildings  or  ruins  in  the  Eastern 
Hemisphere  do  you  know  besides  those  mentioned  in  this  chapter? 

5.  What  city  in  India  should  you  like  best  to  visit?  fJive  the 
reason  for  your  clujice. 

6.  Find  the  latitude  of  India.  Xamc  some  otlu-r  couulry  in  tlm 
same  latitude. 

7.  What  is  the  longitude  of  India.  In  what  jiart  of  llic  \v(irld 
should  you  be  if  you  traveled  as  many  degrees  west  of  llic  ]>riin<; 
meridian  as  India  is  east? 

8.  What  is  the  name  of  the  mountain  pass  between  Imlia  ;md 
Afghanistan?  Of  wliat  other  famous  pass  have  you  read  in  this  book? 


326 


ASIA 


III 

Be  able  to  spell  ami  ]>r()iiomice  the  following  names.  Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chajiter. 


Russia 

China 

England 

Siberia 

Persia 

Afghanistan 

Manchuria 

Kashmir 

Himalaya  jNIountains 

Hindu  Kush  ^Mountains 

Mt.  P2verest 

Khyber  Pass 

Huffli  River 


Ganges  River 

Bay  of  Bengal 

Manchester 

Calcutta 

Simla 

Bombay 

Dellii 

Darjeeling 

Agra 

Benares 

London 

Leeds 

Bradford 


CHAPTER  XIV 

INDIAN  FAR]\rS  AXD  FACTORIES 

We  have  seen  the  people  of  India  at  home  in  their  vil- 
lages and  cities,  but  as  nine  tenths  of  them  depend  on 
farming  for  a  living,  we  will  now  visit  some  of  then  farms. 

Cotton  is  one  of  the  most  important  crops  of  India.  The 
fields  look  very  much  like  those  of  our  Southern  states,  but 
the  brown-skinned,  scantily  draped,  turbaned  workers  do 
not  resemble  our  negro  pickers,  neither  do  the  clusters  of 
bamboo  huts  resemble  the  scattered  wooden  cabins  in  which 
many  of  the  negroes  live. 

The  area  devoted  to  cotton  in  India  is  about  as  larsre  as 
the  state  of  West  Virginia,  and  the  amouut  of  fiber  produced 
would  fill  many  thousand  freight  cars.  .Vbout  half  of  this 
long  trainload  of  raw  cotton  is  manufactured  in  India,  and 
the  rest  is  sent  chiefly  to  Japan,  Germany,  and  England. 
Perhaps  you  have  never  thought  of  India  as  doing  much 
manufacturing.  There  are,  however,  many  cotton-mills  in 
liombay,  and  m  Calcutta  there  are  large  factories  for  tlie 
manufacture  not  only  of  cotton  but  of  other  products  w  hich 
the  rich  soil  of  the  country  produces  in  such  abundum-e. 
The  cotton-mills  of  India  manufacture  annually  enough 
yards  of  cotton  cloth  to  stretch  to  the  moon  and  back,  and 
so  much  yarn  that  it  would  require  between  two  hundred 
fifty  and  three  hundred  thousand  lK)rses,  each  drawing  a 
ton,  to  haul  it  away. 

327 


328 


ASIA 


As  we  learn  these  facts  we  begin  to  realize  that  India 
has  vast  possibilities  before  it  in  manufacturing  as  well  as 
in  agriculture.  The  cheap  labor,  the  ease  with  which  the 
raw  material  can  be  obtained,  and  the  great  markets  near 
at  Imiid  in  the  crowded  cities,  all  tend  to  make  India 
one  uf  the  greatest  manufacturing  countries  of  the  East. 

Fiber  })laiits  grow 
well  in  India.  The 
flax  flourishes  there 
as  well  as  it  does  in 
the  low  fields  of  Ire- 
land. When  studying 
Europe  you  probably 
read  something  of  the 
manufacture  of  jute 
in  Dundee  (Scotland) 
and  in  other  places. 
This  jute  fiber  comes 
from  India.  The  plant 
is  a  kind  of  reed  which 
grows  in  low,  moist 
regions  to  a  height  of 
from  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet.  See  those  broAvn, 
turbaned  workers  cutting  the  large  reeds,  some  of  which 
are  nearly  three  times  as  tall  as  they  are.  The  inner  bark 
is  a  strong,  coarse  fiber,  and  after  the  outer  bark  is  rotted 
off  (or  "  retted,"  as  the  process  is  called),  this  fiber  is  manu- 
factured into  heavy  brown  cloth,  most  of  which  is  used  for 
sacks  in  which  much  of  the  grain,  coffee,  sugar,  and  other 
crops  are  packed  for  shippmg. 


<&H.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.  127.   There  are  Many  Large  Mills 
AND  Factories  in  Bombay  and  Calcutta 


INDIAN  FAKMS  AND  FACTORIES 


529 


The  low  delta  plains  of  the  province  of  Bengal  produce 
enormous  quantities  of  jute,  and  Calcutta  is  the  most  im- 
portant city  in  the  world  both  for  the  manufacture  of  jute 
bags  and  bagging  and  for  the  shipping  of  the  fiber  and  its 
products.  The  mills  along  the  river  are  so  busy  that  in 
one  year  there  is  exported  from  Calcutta  enough  jute  cloth 
to  wrap  around  the 
earth  at  the  equator 
about  twenty  times, 
and  enough  jute  bags 
to  give  three  or  four 
to  each  person  in  the 
United  States ;  and 
besides  manufacturing 
all  these  products,  Cal- 
cutta exports  nearly 
as  much  jute  fiber  as 
she  uses  at  home  m 
her  factories. 

The  prettiest  fields 
wliich  we  shall  see  in 
India,  or  indeed  in 
any  Asiatic  country, 

are  those  where  tlie  poppy  is  growing.  We  sliall  liiid  most 
of  these  farms  lying  just  nortli  of  a  Ynw,  diuwii  lliimigh 
Calcutta.  The  entire  industry  of  poppy  raising  and  opium 
manufacture  is  in  the  hands  of  a  government  connnission, 
who  decide  each  year  just  liow  many  acres  shall  l)e  given 
to  the  crop.  No  farmer  is  allowed  to  raise  i)opi)ic'8  witliout 
a  Hcense,  and  none  can  sell  his  product  to  anyone  except 
the  government  agents. 


Fig.  128.   Tin;  ri;KTTii:sT  Fiklds  ok  India 

AKK  TIIO??!':    WHKUK    TIIIO    I'oi'l'V    (iKOWS 


330  ASIA 

Let  us  visit  a  poppy  farm  and  see  the  farmer  at  work. 
We  are  told  that  the  plant  requires  a  very  rich  soil  and 
a  good  deal  of  moisture  to  make  the  sap  flow  well.  The 
seeds  have  been  sown  m  November,  and  during  the  lat- 
ter part  of  January  the  [)lants  begin  to  blossom.  When 
the  petals  are  ready  to  fall,  they  are  picked  by  women  and 
children,  who  afterwards  heat  them  over  a  slow  lire  and 
work  and  press  them  into  thin  mats  or  sheets  which  will 
be  used  later  m  the  opium  factory.  In  March  or  April  the 
farmer  begins  to  collect  his  harvest.  In  the  afternoon  he 
goes  into  the  fields  and  with  a  peculiarly  shaped  knife 
makes  a  cut  around  each  seed  pod.  During  the  night  a 
milky  juice  exudes,  drop  by  drop,  which  soon  turns  brown 
and  becomes  gummy.  In  the  morning  the  farmer  carefully 
scrapes  this  substance  into  a  jar,  which,  when  full,  he  allows 
to  stand  for  some  weeks  until  the  government  inspector 
comes  to  examine  its  quality,  to  weigli  it,  and  to  buy  it. 
Then  the  big  earthen  Ijowls  of  paste  arc  taken  in  bullock 
carts  to  one  of  the  government  factories  near  Benares.  The 
establislmient  covers  several  acres  and  employs  thousands 
of  hands.  lirown  coolies,  staggering  under  the  weight  of 
heavy  jars,  carry  them  to  a  large  room  filled  with  great  stone 
vats  holding  hundreds  of  pounds  of  the  mahogany-colored 
paste.  Look  at  those  coolies  jumping  into  the  vats.  By  the 
lielp  of  ropes  stretched  above  them  they  tread  and  knead 
the  gummy  mass  until  it  is  soft  and  smooth.  Xo  wonder  the 
men  look  hot  and  tired,  for  it  is  exhausting  work  and  they 
can  remain  in  the  vats  for  only  an  hour  or  two  at  a  time. 

The  opium  is  next  carried  to  the  caking  room,  where  each 
of  the  laborers  is  provided  with  a  flat  board,  a  brass  cup, 
an  earthen  bowl,  and  a  pile  of  the  thin  brown  sheets  made 


INDIAN  FARMS  AND  FACTORIES  331 

from  the  poppy  petals.  Let  us  watch  this  man  at  work. 
He  tears  off  a  piece  of  the  "trash,"  as  the  mat  of  poppy 
petals  is  called,  puts  it  into  his  cup,  and  wets  it  with  some 
liquid  from  his  bowl.  He  adds  another  sheet  of  the  matting 
and  gives  it  a  wettmg  with  the  licjuid.  He  continues 
domg  this  until  he  has  a  layer  about  half  an  inch  thick. 
Now  an  assistant  hands  him  a  lump  of  opium  from  the  vats. 
He  molds  this  with  his  hands,  drops  it  into  the  cup,  wraps 
the  matting  around  it  so  that  it  is  closely  covered,  smears 
the  ball  over  with  liquid  opium,  lays  it  on  his  board,  and 
begms  on  another  one.  It  takes  him  about  five  minutes  to 
make  a  ball  which,  though  only  the  size  of  a  croquet  ball, 
is  worth  several  dollars. 

Laws  in  regard  to  the  sale  of  opium  in  India  are  very 
strict.  Each  dealer  is  licensed,  and  the  amount  that  he  can 
sell  to  any  one  customer  is  limited.  From  the  sale  of  the 
drug  and  from  the  licenses  the  government  receives  a  large 
income,  Avhich  at  times  has  been  greater  than  that  received 
frpm  any  other  source  except  from  the  land  taxes. 

The  sap  is  the  only  part  of  the  poppy  plant  which  has 
a  stupefying,  effect,  and  the  seeds  and  other  portions  are 
used  freely  by  the  people.  The  young  plants  which  are 
weeded  out  are  eaten,  and  the  seeds  are  pressed  for  the  oil 
which  they  yiel<l  in  iiiucb  tlie  same  way  that  cotton  seeds 
are  pressed  to  extract  the  cottonseed  oil.  The  oil  from  the 
poppy  plant  is  used  for  cooking,  for  lighting,  and  for 
making  soap.  After  the  oil  is  extracted,  the  seeds  are 
pressed  into  cakes,  which  are  used  as  a  cattk'  food  The 
plants  are  left  standing  in  the  held  until  they  are  thor- 
oughly dry,  when  they  an^  collected  and  crushed  and  used 
for  packing  around  the  l)alls  ot  opium. 


332  ASIA 

Indigo  is  another  peculiar  crop  of  India.  Perhaps  the 
bhie  dress  or  tie  which  you  are  wearing  was  dyed  with  the 
product  raised  on  some  Indian  farm,  tliough  it  is  more  hkely 
that  a  dye  made  from  coal  tar  was  used.  Since  a  German 
chemist  discovered  how  to  manufacture  artificial  indigo 
from  coal  tar,  fewer  plants  are  raised  in  India,  where  not 
many  years  ago  the  vn)[)  was  one  of  the  most  valuable 
productions.  In  the  nicest  goods,  however,  the  Indian  dye 
is  often  used,  as  it  takes  a  soft,  pretty  color  which  is  abso- 
lutely fast  and  fadeless. 

Let  us  take  a  hasty  trip  to  one  of^  the  famous  farms  in 
the  Bengal  province  and  then  to  the  factory  where  the  dye 
is  made.  If  we  would  see  the  farmers  at  work,  we  must 
make  an  early  morning  visit,  as  the  leaves  are  picked  almost 
before  daylight.  Before  the  sun  has  risen  high  in  the  sky, 
the  bullock  carts  are  piled  with  their  green  loads  and  the 
roads  are  filled  with  a  long  procession  of  the  heavy,  lumber- 
ing teams  crawlmg  slowly  toward  the  low  factory  perhaps 
several  miles  away.  The  farmers  carry  heaping  baskets  of 
leaves  into  the  building,  and  coolies  empty  them  into  great 
vats,  where  other  coolies,  nearly  buried  in  the  green  mass, 
are  treadmg  them  down. 

When  a  vat  is  tilled,  water  is  added  and  the  leaves  are 
left  to  soak  for  a  day  or  more.  How  queer  the  water  looks! 
In  one  vat  it  is  just  turning  yellow,  in  another  it  has  a  blue 
tinge,  while  in  a  third  it  is  fermenting  and  is  covered  with 
a  white  froth.  Over  there  is  a  vat  where  coolies  are  draw- 
ing off  the  liquid  into  large  tanks  in  another  room.  What 
a  steaming  and  a  splashing !  See  the  great  paddles,  run  by 
machinery  and  revolving  at  a  high  rate  of  speed,  beat  the 
water  to  a  foam.  As  the  beating  contmues,  the  color  changes 


tN^DlAN  FARMS  AND  FACTORIES  333 

and  a  blue  scum  forms  on  top.  As  this  grows  thicker  it 
settles  to  the  bottom  and  the  liquid  grows  clearer.  Then 
the  water  is  drawn  off  and  the  powdery  substance  in  the 
bottom  is  strained  through  wu'e  gauze  and  cloth.  Now  we 
will  go  into  the  boilmg  room.  Here  the  steam  is  thicker 
than  in  a  dozen  laundries,  and  through  the  clouds  Ave  can 
see  brown  figures  Imrrving  to  and  fro  and  stirring  the  bul)- 
bling  blue  licjuid  in  the  great  tanks.  The  powder  whicli  is 
finally  deposited  is  strained  agam,  then  dried  and  pressed, 
and  finally  packed  in  boxes  and  sent  to  Calcutta,  whence 
most  of  it  is  shipped  away. 

Have  you  heard  the  Eastern  legend  of  the  origin  of  the 
tea  plant  ?  Once  upon  a  time  a  prince  of  India  determined 
to  lead  a  holy  life.  In  order  to  do  this.  Eastern  people  think 
it  necessary  to  torture  the  body  in  some  way.  So  the  prince 
decided  that  he  would  never  go  to  sleep.  He  tried  in  every 
way  possible  to  keep  awake,  but  after  holding  to  his  vow 
for  several  days  he  became  so  exhausted  that  he  suddenly 
fell  asleep.  On  awaking,  he  was  so  angry  at  having  broken 
Lis  vow  that  he  cut  off  his  eyelashes,  whicli  he  had  sworn 
''should  never  rest  on  tired  lids,"  and  threw  tlieni  from 
him.  The  next  day  he  noticed  that  a  strange  plant  had 
sprung  up  where  his  lashes  had  fallen.  He  gathered  and 
ate  some  of  the  leaves  and  felt  so  refreshed  that  he  was 
enabled  to  keep  his  vow  for  a  long  time. 

Whether  or  not  you  believe  the  whole  of  the  story,  it  is 
true  that  tea  is  one  of  tlie  most  refreshing  of  drinks.  So 
much  is  grown  in  India  tliat  to-day  tea  is  one  of  the  most 
valual>le  exports  of  the  countiy.  Wc;  sliall  find  tea  I'ai  ins  on 
the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  in  terraced  gardens  on  tlic  moun- 
tain sides.    Some  (A'  tin-  best  farms  may  be  found   in  llu; 


334  ASIA 

province  of  Assam,  and  it  is  said  that  the  highest-priced 
tea  in  the  world  comes  from  the  slopes  around  Darjeeling. 
You  read  in  Chapter  IV  of  the  largo  scale  on  which  tea 
farming  is  conducted  in  India,  and  tlu^  scientific  methods 
wliich  are  used  in  its  manufacture.  It  is  doubtless  due  to 
these  improvements  that  the  industry  has  developed  so 
rapidly  and  that  Indian  teas  are  in  such  demand. 

If  we  were  to  visit  all  the  kinds  of  farms  in  India,  we 
should  have  to  remain  in  the  country  a  long  time.  There 
are  among  others  the  licorice  farms,  where  the  farmer 
cultivates  tlie  low  shrubs  for  the  roots  from  which  are 
made  the  long,  ])lack,  sweet  sticks  which  you  find  in  the 
stores. 

Immense  quantities  of  sugar  cane  are  raised,  especially 
in  the  southern  part  of  India,  and  a  field  of  the  tall,  waving 
stalks  ten  or  fifteen  feet  high  is  a  fine  sight.  On  many 
plantations  bullocks  do  the  work  which  in  the  United  States 
is  done  by  machinery.  The  patient  animals,  walkmg  round 
and  round  in  a  circle,  turn  the  big  wooden  or  steel  rollers 
which  crush  out  the  juice.  Sugar  is  made  by  boiling  down 
the  sap.  All  of  the  work  is  done  in  a  very  crude  way.  The 
boiling  liquid  is  skimmed  with  a  great  scoop  fastened  to 
the  end  of  a  long  pole,  and  the  sugar  which  is  made  looks 
coarse  and  brown  and  not  very  appetizing.  How  different 
it  all  is  from  tlio  vacuum  pans  and  filters  and  the  other 
machinery  used  in  the  United  States ! 

The  crops  on  which  the  natives  of  the  country  depend 
for  their  chief  food  supply  are  rice,  millet,  and  wheat.  These 
are  raised  in  all  parts  of  India,  though  most  of  the  rice  is 
grown  in  the  south  and  more  of  the  millet  and  wheat  in 
the  northern  portion.    The  sound  of  women  pounding  rice 


IXDIAX  FARMS  AND  FACTORIES  335 

wnth  a  heavy  wooden  pestle,  and  the  sight  of  them  giinding 
the  other  grains  between  two  stones,  are  as  common  in 
India  as  the  rattle  of  a  mowing  machine  and  the  sigrht  of  a 
load  of  hay  are  in  our  country. 

In  the  United  States  we  hear  a  good  deal  about  labor 
unions  and  trouble  between  labor  and  capital.  In  India 
you  will  hear  little  of  such  questions,  but  you  will  both 
hear  and  see  a  great  deal  concerning  caste.  The  people  of 
India  are  divided  mto  classes,  and  each  class,  or  caste,  is 
governed  by  laws  in  regard  to  its  food,  dress,  occupation, 
and  manner  of  life.  There  are  five  chief  castes :  liist,  tlie 
Brahmans,  or  priests ;  second,  the  warriors,  from  whom 
come  the  kings  and  rulers ;  third,  the  farmers  and  traders  ; 
fourth,  the  common  laborers ;  and  fifth  and  lowest  of  all, 
outcasts,  or  people  of  no  caste.  These  are  divided  and  sub- 
divided into  dozens  of  classes,  and  the  whole  question  is  so 
complicated  and  so  diiferent  from  anything  in  the  West 
that  it  is  very  difficult  for  a  foreigner  to  understand  nuich 
about  it. 

The  divisions  which  I  have  given  are  classified  according 
to  occupation,  yet  caste  does  not  depend  on  that  alone. 
This  is  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  a  Brahman,  the  highest 
caste  of  all,  may  cook  for  others  of  his  o\\n  class.  It  is 
necessary  that  this  should  be  so,  as  no  Hindu,  of  whatever 
caste  he  may  be,  will  eat  anything  prepared  by  a  person  of 
a  lower  caste  than  himself.  Can  you  imagine  what  c(jn- 
fusion  it  would  cause  in  the  United  States  if  a  lawyer  could 
not  eat  with  a  shoemaker,  or  marry  the  daughter  of  a  store- 
keeper, or  have  anytliing  to  do  with  a  minister?  During 
your  visit  in  India  you  must  remem])er  that  you  arc  an 
outcast,  and  that  if  you  touch  tlie  cup  out  of  wliich  a  llimhi 


336  ASIA 

is  drinking,  or  even  see  the  food  which  he  is  about  to  eat, 
he  must  throw  it  away.  If  you  let  your  shadow  fall  on  him 
while  he  is  at  his  meal,  you  will  cause  him  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  as  he  will  neither  drink  the  water  nor  eat  the  food 
set  before  him.  He  must  purify  himself  and  bathe  before 
he  can  eat  again. 

A  person  must  always  remain  of  the  caste  into  whicli  he 
was  born  and  nuist  follow  the  rules  which  govern  it.  He 
must  not  eat  certain  kinds  of  forliidden  food ;  he  must  not 
maiTy  a  widow ;  he  must  never  change  his  religion  or  wor- 
ship other  gods  than  his  own  ;  there  are  certain  expressions 
which  he  may  and  may  not  use  in  his  conversation  —  these 
and  many  other  laws  he  must  always  obey.  If  he  does 
not  obey  the  rules  of  his  caste,  he  becomes  an  outcast. 
This  is  the  most  terrible  thing  which  can  happen  to  a 
Hindu.  He  is  forever  disgraced.  His  family  and  friends 
will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him.  Even  tlie  village 
washerman  will  refuse  to  wash  his  clothes,  the  potter  to 
make  his  jars,  the  barber  to  shave  him,  and  he  himself 
can  do  only  the  lowest  kind  of  ^A-ork. 

Since  the  English  have  introduced  into  the  cities  of  India 
modern  improvements,  such  as  the  common  water  supply, 
the  street  cars,  and  railroads,  it  is  much  harder  for  a  Hindu 
to  live  according  to  the  rules  of  caste,  and  they  are  slowly 
becoming  less  strict.  In  the  smaller  places  in  the  interior 
of  the  country,  however,  a  Hindu's  whole  life  is  regu- 
lated by  the  rules  of  his  caste,  which  he  must  follow  or 
be  forever  disgraced. 

The  more  you  read  about  India  the  more  strongly  you 
will  feel  that  Rudyard  Kipling  was  right  when  he  said, 
in  the  poem  which  was  quoted  in  another  place,  that  the 


INDIAN  FARMS  AXD  FACTORIES  337 

East  and  the  West  can  never  meet  in  complete  under- 
standing of  each  other.  We  may  touch  in  trade,  in  com- 
merce, in  manufacturmg,  in  the  common  things  of  daily 
life,  but  the  people  of  Western  nations  liave  as  yet  made 
little  progress  in  really  understanding  the  Hindu,  in  com- 
prehending the  motives,  thouglits,  and  feelings  which  make 
him  the  puzzle  that  he  is. 


TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  The  cotton  industry  of  India. 

2.  Jiite  manufacture. 

3.  Poppy  fields  and  opium  factories. 

4.  Uses  of  the  poppy. 

5.  The  making  of  indigo. 

6.  A  legend  of  tea. 

7.  The  tea  industry  of  India. 

8.  Other  farms  in  India. 

9.  Caste. 

IT 

1.  "Write  a  list  of  the  pu-oducts  of  India. 

2.  Compare  the  cotton  industry  witli  that  of  the  United  States. 
Xame  some  of  the  most  important  cotton  jiorts  ui  the  United  States; 
some  of  the  most  important  cotton-manufacturing  cities. 

3.  Send  a  cargo  of  jute  from  India  to  Scotland.  Name  the  waters 
sailed  on,  and  the  shipping  and  receiving  ports.  From  ilie  scale  of 
your  maps  estimate,  as  near  as  you  can,  the  distance  between  the 
two  cities. 

4.  What  country  of  South  America  do  you  tiiiiik  will  usi;  the 
most  jute  bagging?    Give  reasons  for  your  answer. 

5.  What  was  .said  about  tlie  opium  traffic  in  Chaplcr  III  ? 

6.  Name  as  many  differences  as  jiossible  between  the  sugar  in- 
du.stry  in  the  United  States  aud  in  India. 


338  ASIA 

7.  What  are  the  principal  sugar-producing  states  in  our  country? 
Sketch  them  and  locate  their  cliief  seaports. 

8.  (live  some  reasons  why  you  would  not  like  to  live  in  India. 

9.  Describe  the  processes  in  the  preparation  of  tea. 

Ill 

Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.    I<ocate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  i»revious  chapter. 

England  Darjeeliug 

Scotland  Benares 

Germany  Bengal 

China  Bombay 

Japan  Calcutta 

Assam  Dundee 


CHAPTER  XV 
CEYLON,  THE   TKARL  OF  INDIA 

The  island  of  Ceylon  looks  very  small  on  the  map  of 
Asia,  but  it  is  really  three  times  the  size  of  JNlassachusetts, 
and  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  strait  fifty  miles 
wide.  The  island  is  not  a  part  of  the  Indian  Empire,  but  is 
governed  directly  from  England  by  a  governor  appointed  by 
the  king.  Because  of  its  products  and  its  location  Ceylon  is 
an  important  colony.  It  lies  on  tlie  ocean  route  of  steamers 
sailmg  to  and  from  China,  Ja|)aiK  the  Straits  Settlements, 
Australia,  and  Calcutta. 

Have  you  noticed  how  England's  route  to  India  is  [)ro- 
tected  by  strong  outposts  ?  First  on  the  way  is  Gibraltar, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea;  then  comes  Aden,  at 
the  other  end  of  the  long  stretch  of  inland  waters ;  Ceylon 
lies  near  the  toe  of  India;  and  Singapore  is  at  the  end  of 
the  peninsula  farther  east.  These  are  the  most  im[)t)rtant 
stations,  and  between  these  are  others  of  lesser  importance. 

We  will  land  at  Colombo,  the  largest  city  of  Ceylon  and 
the  most  important  seaport.  It  is  about  a  thousand  miles 
from  Bombay  and  more  than  seven  thonsand  niiU's  fiom 
I'^ngland.  We  notice  the  lovely  sliorc  fringed  with  tall  cuco- 
nut  palms  overhanging  the  yellow  sands,  and  tiic  liin' hicak- 
wat(n-  which  the  government  has  built  to  inipiov(^  the 
liaibor.  A  large  hotel  is  situated  a  litth;  way  from  the 
landing,  but  in  walking  even  thi.s  sliort  distance  we  sliall 

889 


340 


ASIA 


feel  the  effect  of  the  tropical  sun  and  shall  be  glad  of  the 
protection  of  an  umbrella.  Our  bags  are  carried  up  from 
the  wharf  in  a  cart  drawn  by  a  bullock,  which  increases  its 
pace  whenever  the  driver  gives  its  tail   a  sudden  twist. 


<:-  II.  C.  White  (Jo. 

Fig.  129.    The  Shohe  of  Ceyi.on  is  i-kixged  with  Palms 


Horses  do  not  thrive  in  Ceylon,  and  oxen  and  bullocks  are 
used  almost  entirely.  Elephants  also  are  found  on  the 
island,  and  because  of  their  great  strength  they  can  do  an 
enormous  amount  of  work.  They  require  so  much  food 
that  they  are  expensive  animals  to  keep,  and  few  of  the 
poorer  natives  can  afford  to  own  them. 


CEYLOX,  THE  PEARL  OF  IXDIA 


341 


The  part  of  Colombo  occupied  by  fine  residences  and 
official  buildings  is  called  the  Fort.  The  portion  where  the 
natives  live  is  called  the  Black  Town.    The  Fort  contams 


(y  tnclirwuoil  .<;  Underwood 

Fig.  130.   The  Part  or  Coi-omko  occui'ieu  by  Fink  Kesidences  and 
Oi-FiciAL  Buildings  is  callkd  the  Fort 


public  buildings,  stores,  and  wcU-bnih,  bungalows  with  dcfp 
verandas  along  wide,  shaded  streets.  The;  liouscs,  sur- 
rounded by  honeysuckle,  jasmine,  azaleas,  olcandns,  lilies, 
cacti,    and    ferns    are    very    attractive.    fShadc    fiom    ihe 


342 


ASIA 


scorching  sun  is  given  by  the  ever-present  pahns,  the  long- 
leafed  bananas,  the  mangoes,  and  other  trees. 

The  houses  hi  the  Black  Town  are  little  one-story  cabins 
made  of  mud  spread  on  bamboo  frame\v(jrk,  with  thatched 
roofs  of  palm  leaves.    Many  of  them  have  no  windows, 


»  H.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.  131.   The  rAKT  of  Colombo  where  the  Natives  live  is 

CALLED   THE    BlACK   ToWN 

but  the  door  is  never  shut,  and  as  the  huts  are  used  only 
as  sleeping  places,  windows  are  not  so  important  as  they 
are  in  colder  climates.  All  the  family  life  is  carried  on 
out  of  doors.  The  natives  of  Ceylon  see  no  necessity  for 
working  hard ;  they  think  it  far  pleasanter  to  lie  in  the 
shade  of  a  mango  tree  and  chew  betel  nuts  than  to  labor 
all  day  ui  the  intense  heat  on  tea  or  coffee  plantations. 


CEYLOX,  THE  PEAKL  OF  INDIA  343 

The  making  of  their  clothing  takes  but  little  time,  as  the 
cliildren  often  go  naked  and  a  few  yards  of  cloth  draped 
around  the  shoulders  and  waist  is  an  entire  costume  for  a 
man  or  woman.  Their  food  is  easily  supplied;  the  palm 
and  banana  trees  yield  their  fruit,  the  little  farms  their 
rice,  and  the  surrounding  waters  tlieir  lish.  Perhaps  if 
we  lived  in  a  similar  climate  and  had  as  few  wants  to 
satisfy,   we  might  not  be   very  energetic. 

Let  us  take  a  train  and  see  something  of  the  island.  Are 
you  surprised  to  know  that  there  are  railroads  in  Ceylon? 
There  are  several  hundred  miles  of  track,  and  as  we  ride 
over  it  we  shall  see  queer  sights  from  the  car  windows.  * 

The  city  of  Kandy,  one  of  the  ancient  capitals  of  Ceylon, 
lies  near  the  center  of  the  island,  about  seventy  miles  north- 
east of  Colom])o.  The  little  stations  on  tlie  way  are  neat, 
and  the  grounds  are  ornamented  with  trees  and  flowering 
plants.  What  big  black  eyes  the  children  Ikiac,  and  how 
earnestly  they  ph'ad  with  us  to  buy  some  fruit  fidiu  their 
tempting  baskets  held  u[)  under  the  windows ! 

Soon  we  are  off  again  into  the  dense  growth  of  tJie  forest. 
We  should  need  an  ax  to  clear  the  Avay  before  we  could 
^\•alk  thi'OUgh  tlie  jungle,  'i'he  trees  ai'e  bound  together 
with  stout  vines,  and  the  grcnind  is  hidden  In  the  thick 
undergrowth.  Soon  we  come  to  a  clearing  where  we  can 
see  some  rice  plantations  in  the  distance  and  nearer  to  us 
a  little  villacre.  The  houses  have  bamboo  frames  lilled  in 
with  clay,  and  palm-thatched  roofs  so  low  that  the  ea\es 
are  only  three  or  four  feet  from  the  grouml.  Nd  nails  art- 
used  in  building  the  houses,  l)nt  the  hollow  stems  are  ticfl 
tog(;ther  with  l)amboo  liber  or  with  some  strong  vines.  ( )n 
we  go  past  Ijauaiui  gnjvcs  bending  under  the  weit^dit  of  tlu! 


344  ASIA 

heavy  fruit,  under  spreading  banyan  trees  filled  with  chat- 
tering  monkeys,  past  ant  hills  nearly  as  tall  as  the  houses^ 
beside  dark  i)()ols  covered  with  fragrant  lotus  flowers  and 
guarded  by  brilliant  flaniingos  standing  on  the  banks  Hke 
one-legged  senthiels.  If  we  sliould  leave  the  train  and  plunge 
into  tlie  thieket,  we  should  find  tracks  of  leopards  and  bears, 
and  broad  paths  made  by  e]c})liants. 

To  tlic  worshipers  of  liuddlia,  Kandy  is  a  holy  cit}',  and 
teni[)les  and  gods  and  priests  are  as  numerous  as  the  gorgeous 
butterflies  which  delight  our  eyes.  In  the  center  of  the  city 
lies  a  beautiful  lake,  around  which  the  English  have  built 
a  charming  driveway  and  })i()nienade  shaded  with  fine  trees 
and  oriuimented  with  lovely  plants  and  shrubs.  1'he  lake  is 
one  of  the  many  artificial  ones  made  centuries  ago  in  order 
that  water  might  be  stori'd  and  nsed  to  irrigate  the  rice  fields. 

The  history  of  Ceylon  dates  back  for  hundreds  of  years. 
There  are  temples,  palaces,  tombs,  and  ruined  cities  whicli 
tell  us  that  even  before  tlie  time  of  Christ  the  island  was 
rich  and  populous.  Perliaps  tlie  most  wonderful  work  of 
tliese  ancient  people  was  the  plannhig  and  building  of  a 
great  system  of  irrigation.  By  dammuig  tlie  mountain 
streams,  in  which,  during  the  monsoon  season,  great  quan- 
tities of  water  run  to  waste,  large  lakes  were  formed.  To 
feed  the  thirsty  fields  the  water  was  brought  from  these 
mountain  lakes  through  thick  forests  and  dense  jungles, 
across  deep  ravines,  and  around  intervening  hills.  Tliou- 
sands  of  rice  fields  were  flooded,  and  food  for  the  populous 
cities  and  towns  was  thus  easily  supplied.  Now  most  of 
the  tanks  and  canals  are  in  ruins,  the  cities  are  a  crum- 
bling mass  of  brick  and  stone,  and  the  gay,  happy,  indolent 
people  have  long  since  disappeared. 


CEYLON,  THE  PEARL  OF  INDL\ 


345 


But,  you  ask,  what  about  the  present  mhabitants  of 
Ceylon  ?  What  do  they  do  ?  How  do  they  live  ?  What 
do  we  buy  from  them  ?  Next  to  England  we  are  Ceylon's 
best  customer,  and  millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  goods  come 
to  us  from  this  far-away  island.    One  of  the  products  which 


©II.  C.  \S\\\w  V. 

Fk;.  132.    When   Rh'e  the  Coconuts  fam.  to  the  (iuouNK  <m{   auk 
piCKEn  BY  Natives 

we  buy  in  large  quantities  is  coconut,  both  llie  (hicil  Iruit 
and  tlie  oil.  The  coconut  tree  is  one  of  tlic  most  useful 
in  the  world.  The  leaves  are  used  for  the  thatching  of  roofs 
and  the  making  of  mats.  As  for  tlie  nuts,  there  is  no  part 
that  is  not  used  V)y  the  natives  in  some  way.  The  liard  sliclls 
serve  for  cups,  ladles,  and  other  liouschold  utensils;    iIk; 


346  ASIA 

husks  are  made  into  coarse  brushes,  brooms,  mats,  and 
ropes ;  the  meat  is  used  for  food  and  the  liquid  inside  the 
nut  makes  a  healthful  drink.  The  dried  meat  of  the  coco- 
nut, called  copra,  is  exported  in  great  quantities  to  Europe 
and  the  United  States,  where  it  is  ground  and  pressed  to 
extract  the  oil,  the  most  valuable  product  of  the  nut.  The 
oil  is  used  as  a  lubricant  and  a  medicine,  and  in  the  making 
of  soap.  In  the  French  city  of  Marseille  alone  thousands 
of  tons  of  oil  are  extracted  each  year  to  meet  the  world's 
deuiand.  The  natives  of  Ceylon  extract  the  oil  from  the 
meat  of  the  coconut  in  a  very  crude  way  and  use  it  to  light 
their  homes  and  to  cook  their  food. 

The  coconut  begins  to  bear  when  seven  or  eight  years 
old,  and  for  nearly  a  hundred  years  produces  every  season 
fi'om  fifty  to  a  hundred  nuts.  The  nuts  grow  in  bunches 
close  to  the  trunk.  When  ripe  they  fall  to  the  ground  or 
are  picked  by  natives,  who  show  nuich  skill  in  climbing 
the  tall,  smooth  trunk.  It  would  hardly  be  safe  for  you 
to  take  a  nap  under  a  coconut  tree  when  the  fruit  is  ripe, 
as  a  blow  on  the  head  by  a  falling  nut  or  one  thrown 
down  by  a  mischievous  monkey  or  dropped  by  a  careless 
j)icker  might  cause  a  serious  wound. 

One  of  the  spices  which  make  the  breezes  of  Ceylon  fra- 
grant is  cinnamon,  and  tliere  are  thousands  of  acres  devoted 
to  the  cultivation  of  cinnamon  trees.  In  the  summer,  Avhen 
the  trees  are  covered  with  large  white  blossoms,  the  orchards 
are  a  pretty  sight,  but  the  best  time  for  a  visit  is  in  the  fall, 
when  the  bark  is  being  gathered  and  the  air  is  filled  with 
the  spicy  fragrance.  The  trees  would  naturally  grow  to  a 
height  of  thirty  or  more  feet,  but  under  cultivation  they  are 
pruned  back  so  that  they  are  only  about  ten  feet  high.    The 


CEYLOX,  THE  PEAEL  OF  INDIA 


347 


dried  bark  which  we  buy  iii  our  grocery  stores  comes  from 
the  small  branches,  wliich  are  cut  off  and  peeled. 

Tea  is  another  of  our  important  miports  from  Ceylon. 
Think  of  the  hundreds  of  plantations  there  must  be,  and 
the  number  of  women  and  children  employed  in  picking 


Fi<;.  1.33.    TnK  Aik    is   iili.kd  with   tiii;   Si'k  v  Fua(;ran(  i.   oi    tiik 

Cinnamon  Baku 


the  leaves,  to  supi)ly  tlic  millions  ol'  pDiinds  wliidi  tins 
one  island  sends  annually  to  different  nations.  Ceylon  teas 
liave  grown  in  favor  during  recent  years  and  nn'  now  con- 
sidered among  the  best. 

Have  you  ever  tasted  that  bitter  medicine,  (pi  in  in c? 
You  probably  took  as  little  of  it  as  possible,  and  yon  will 
be  surprised  to  learn  that  millions  of  pounds  are  produced 


348  ASIA 

annually  in  the  East  Indies,  southern  Asia,  Ceylon,  and 
South  America.  In  former  years  most  of  the  quinine  used 
in  the  United  States  came  from  South  America.  To-day, 
however,  the  greater  part  of  the  three  and  a  half  or  four 
million  pounds  which  we  use  comes  to  us  through  the 
Netherlands  from  the  island  of  Java  in  the  East  Indies, 
the  most  important  colonial  possession  of  the  Dutch. 

Probably  you  have  always  thought  of  the  country  of 
Brazil  as  the  great  rubber-producing  region  of  the  world. 
But  the  demand  for  rubber  has  increased  so  much  in  recent 
years  that  the  industry  is  growing  very  rapidly  in  southern 
and  eastern  Asia  and  the  East  Indies,  and  to-day  these 
regions,  with  Africa,  furnish  the  most  of  the  world's  supply. 
Thousands  of  acres  in  Ceylon  are  being  planted  each  year 
with  rubber  trees,  and  the  annual  product  of  rubber  has 
doubled  itself  for  several  years  in  succession. 

Did  you  have  a  cup  of  cocoa  for  your  breakfast?  Possi- 
bly that  of  which  your  moi'uing  drink  was  made  came  from 
Ceylon,  as  we  buy  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  from  this 
Eastern  island. 

Nature  has  not  only  made  the  surface  of  Ceylon  beau- 
tiful with  trees  and  flowers,  fruits  and  birds,  but  she  has 
hidden  beautiful  things  in  the  ground  as  well.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  quarries  where  rubies,  cat's-eyes,  garnets,  sapphires, 
moonstones,  and  other  gems  are  mmed.  The  moonstones 
obtained  in  Ceylon  are  very  lovely,  and  the  natives  show 
great  skill  in  cutting  and  polishing  them.  Useful  minerals 
are  also  obtamed  in  the  island.  One  of  the  most  important 
of  these  is  graphite,  or  plumbago,  which,  mixed  with  a  fine 
clay,  forms  the  lead  in  the  pencils  with  which  you  write. 
It  is  used  also  in  making  stove  blacking,  as  well  as  axle 


CEYLOX,  THE  PEARL  OF  INDIA  349 

grease  and  other  lubricators.  The  supply  in  Ceylon  is  con- 
sidered mexhaustible,  and  in  more  than  four  hundred  mines 
men  are  engaged  in  bringing  to  the  surface  so  much  of  this 
useful  mineral  that  about  a  third  of  the  world's  supply  comes 
irom  this  English  colony. 

In  your  trip  through  Ceylon  it  may  be  difficult  for  you 
to  (listmguish  the  men  from  the  women.  They  dress  very 
nuich  alike,  and  the  men  wear  combs,  earrings,  and  other 
jewelry.  Some  of  their  ornaments  are  made  of  tortoise 
shell,  as  this  is  one  of  the  most  important  products  of  the 
ishuid.  No  well-to-do  man  considers  himself  well  dressed 
unless  he  has  a  valuable  tortoise-shell  comb  in  Ins  hair  and 
perha])s  a  Ijracelet  or  two  on  each  arm. 

TOPICS   FOR  STIItY 
1 

1.  Size  and  goverument  of  Ceylon. 

2.  Colombo,  the  capital. 

3.  Life  in  Ceylon. 

4.  The  ancient  city  of  Kandy. 

5.  History  of  Ceylon. 

6.  Coconut  trees. 

7.  A  cinnamon  farm. 

8.  Ceylon  tea. 

9.  Quinine  and  rublter  i)laiitation.s. 

10.  Mineral  -wealth  of  Ceylon. 

11.  Tortoise  shell. 

1! 

1.  Name  the  waters  between  Cibruitar  and  Adni. 

2.  DescriV^e  a  flamingo. 

3.  Load  a  vessel  at  Ceylon  with  goods  for  th.-  I'liit.-d  States. 
What  will  her  cargo  consist  of?  Name  the  sliii-piiig  and  n-cciviiig 
ports  and  the  waters  sailed  on  in  the  voyage. 


350  ASIA 

4.  IIow  many  of  the  gems  described   in  the  chapter  have  you 
seen?    Describe  each. 

5.  Tell   some  modern   inventions   uliicli    liave  greatly  increased 
the  demand  for  rul)bt'r. 

6.  Look  up  Ceylon  in  the  encyclopedia  and  see  wliat  additional 
facts  you  can  learn  about  it. 

7.  In  what  parts  of  the   United  States  is  plumbago  obtained  ? 
In  what  other  countries  is  it  found? 

8.  See  what  you  can  find  about  the  niaimtacturi'  of  lead  pencils. 

9.  When  studying  C'ha])ter  XI,  were  you   able  to  find  anything 
about  the  pearl  industry  of  Ceylon  ? 


•  Ill 

Be   able   to   spell   and   pronounce  the   following  names.    Locate 

each  place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous 
chapter. 

England  Marseille 

United  States  Aden 

Brazil  Calcutta 

East  Indies  Singapore 

Straits  Settlements  Bombay 

Mediterranean  Sea  Colombo 

Gibraltar  Kandy 

Java 


CHAPTER   XVr 
BEYOXD   THE   BAY    OF   REXCxAL 

Besides  India  and  Ceylon  there  are  other  r)ritisli  pos- 
sessions in  Asia  wliich  we  have  not  yet  seen,  and  we  aaIU 
cross  the  Bay  of  Bengal  to  explore  these  and  other  lands. 

On  the  west  the  peninsula  of  India  separates  the  Bay 
of  Bengal  from  the  Arabian  Sea.  On  the  east  anotlier 
southward-pointing  penuisula,  made  up  of  several  divisions, 
separates  the  bay  from  the  China  Sea.  This  eastern  penin- 
sula is  a  larger  country  than  many  people  realize.  It  would 
c'ontaui  all  of  the  New  England  and  ^Middle  Atlantic  States, 
all  of  the  Southern  states  east  of  the  ^lississi{)pi  River, 
and  Arkansas  on  the  western  side,  and  even  then  the  area 
would  not  be  entirely  covered. 

Tliis  eastern  peninsula  is  made  up  of  four  princi[jal  divi- 
sions. In  the  northwestern  part  Burma,  considerably  larger 
than  the  Middle  Atlantic  States,  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
Britisli.  Farther  south  the  lower  end  of  tlie  long,  narrow 
Malay  Peninsula,  together  with  sevei'al  small  islands  and 
the  northern  coast  of  P)orneo,  are  gronjx'd  uiidii'  liiiii.-li 
protection  and  are  known  as  tlie  Federated  Malay  States 
and  the  Straits  Settlements. 

The  eastern  part  of  the  peninsula,  called  Iiidi)-(  liinu, 
belongs  to  France.  Between  tlie  French  possessjoiis  and 
those  of  the  English  is  the  independ(;nt  country  of  Siain, 
a  l)uffer  state.    TIk^  natives  of  Siam  call  their  country  l)y  a 


352  ASIA 

name  which  means  "  the  kingdom  of  the  free."  You  will 
read  about  these  people  and  their  land  later  in  this  chapter. 

Before  entering  the  country,  look  again  at  the  map  and 
you  will  notice  that  the  peninsula  has  many  large  rivers, 
all  flowing  southward  from  the  northern  highlands.  The 
Mekong,  which  for  a  long  distance  separates  French  terri- 
tory from  Slam,  is  one  of  the  longest  rivers  of  Asia.  All 
the  streams  which  reach  the  sea  have  built  large  deltas, 
and  most  of  the  people  live  on  these  and  in  the  river 
valleys.  Much  of  tlie  country  is  covered  with  forests  — 
real  tropical  forests  with  ricli  hard  woods,  jungles  of  creepers 
and  thorny  shrubs,  and  a  thick  undergrowth  of  vines.  In 
the  dense  woods  are  fierce  tigers,  huge  elephants,  poisonous 
snakes,  chattering  monkeys,  and  brilliantly  colored  parrots. 
No  wonder  that  before  entering  the  deep  shadows  of  these 
forests  the  natives  always  repeat  charms  and  prayers  to 
guard  them  from  its  dangers. 

We  will  sail  from  Calcutta  to  Uaiigoon,  tlie  chief  port 
of  Burma.  The  voyage  is  nearly  eight  hundred  miles  long, 
a  distance  equal  to  that  from  Philadelphia  to  St.  Louis. 
We  steam  slowly  down  the  Hugli  River,  past  long  lines 
of  mills  and  factories,  between  low  clay  shores  where  liun- 
dreds  of  brown  coolies  are  engaged  in  making  bricks,  and 
then  on  between  low,  palm-covered  banks  and  deep  jungles, 
out  into  the  open  water  of  the  bay,  which  for  many  miles 
is  colored  by  the  muddy  water  of  the  Ganges  River. 

We  are  surprised  at  the  city  of  Rangoon.  It  is  larger 
than  Portland,  Oregon.  The  harbor  is  crowded  with  ships, 
and  the  wharves  are  lined  with  warehouses.  Many  of  these 
are  filled  with  rice,  as  not  only  Burma  but  the  whole  of 
the  peninsula  is  one  of  the  great  rice-producing  regions  of 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL 


353 


the  world.  Everybody  eats  rice,  and  every  village  is  sur- 
rounded by  rice  fields.  The  people  raise  enough  for  their 
own  needs  and  a  great  deal  besides,  Avhich  they  send  to 


(   lulerwood  i  liiclir«  i.i.d 

Fk;.  1:>4.    Eaiu.v  in  J>i-.<  k.mhkk  tiik  lii<  i-.  i^-  Ufc.vi>v  roit  Kkatino 

other  counti'ies.  'J'hcy  do  not  liavc  to  \v<trU  IkikI  to  di> 
this,  for  their  fields  are  very  fertih'.  I^vciy  y.ar  during 
tlie  rainy  season  much  of  the  country   is  lloodrd,   and   a 


354  ASIA 

new  layer  of  rich  soil  is  thus  spread  over  the  land.  The 
climate  is  so  warm  that  two,  and  in  some  places  three, 
crops  are  raised  annually.  Everywhere  we  go  we  see  rice 
fields,  in  every  village  we  visit  we  hear  the  women  pound- 
ing rice,  and  whenever  the  natives  invite  us  to  join  the 
group  squatting  on  the  floor,  and  to  share  their  meal,  we 
shall  be  sure  to  find  a  big  dish  of  rice  oceupyuig  tiie  center 
of  the  circle.  In  some  sections  it  is  said  that  i-vcii  the 
animals  are  fed  on  rice. 

After  seeing  the  rice  iiclds  and  the  numerous  rice-mills 
whicli  line  the  river,  we  are  not  surprised  to  learn  that 
Rangoon  is  one  of  the  largest  rice  ports  in  the  world.  In 
the  mills  we  should  see  the  ludiusked  rice  continuall}' 
flowing  in  a  brown  stream  between  huge  cylinders,  which 
are  just  close  enough  together  and  moving  just  fast  enough 
to  rub  off  the  brown  coat  without  breaking  the  grain.  We 
are  more  particular  about  our  rice  tlian  are  these  Eastern 
people;  we  like  it  smooth  and  sliiiiy,  not  rough  and  dull. 
So  the  stream  flows  on  between  other  cylinders  covered 
with  soft  leather,  which  rubs  and  polishes  the  grain  until 
it  is  white  and  glossy ;  but,  as  we  have  read,  some  of  its 
nourishing  quality  has  been  lost. 

Are  you  surprised  to  find  such  well-paved  streets,  fine 
public  buildings,  parks,  boulevards,  and  street-car  lines  in 
this  city  on  the  other  side  of  the  world  ?  We  sliall  always 
find  these  modern  improvements  in  places  where  any  con- 
siderable number  of  Europeans  make  their  homes,  but  we 
shall  find  also  the  narrow,  dirty  lanes,  the  little  low  houses, 
the  bazaars,  and  the  crowded  sections  where  the  natives  live. 

What  is  that  glittering  shaft  that  rises  over  the  low  red 
roofs  and  even  above  the  highest  palms  ?    It  is  so  tall  that 


BEYOXD  THE  BAY  OF  BEXGAL  355 

it  seems  to  pierce  the  sk}-,  and  so  bright  that  it  dazzles  our 
eyes.  Let  us  take  a  jinrikisha  and  ride  over  to  it.  •  It  is  a 
famous  pagoda  of  Burma,  circular  in  shape  and  entirely 
covered  with  gold  leaf,  which  shines  and  glitters  in  the 
bright  tropical  sun.  This  pagoda  is  very  holy,  and  thou- 
sands of  Buddhist  pilgrims  from  every  country  in  the  East 
come  every  year  to  worship  here. 

On  the  broad  terrace  from  which  the  golden  pagoda  rises 
are  hundreds  of  temples  and  shrines.  Near  at  hand  are 
booths  and  stalls  where  pilgrims  buy  offerings,  sweetmeats, 
flowers,  incense,  toys,  and  candles.  Before  each  statue  in 
the  temples  are  piles  of  these  things,  bowls  of  rice,  and 
other  articles  which  worshipers  have  placed  there. 

Burma  is  often  called  Pagoda  Land,  for  thousands  of  these 
curious  buildings  are  scattered  throughout  the  country. 
A  Burman  thinks  that  if  he  builds  a  pagoda,  he  is  sure  of 
eternal  happiness.  So  all  over  the  land  are  pagodas,  small 
and  large,  rickety  and  well  built,  falling  to  pieces  and  in 
good  repair,  covered  with  stucco  or,  if  llic  builder  can 
afford  it,  with  gold  leaf. 

There  are  about  one  and  three-fourths  l)illion  })eople 
living  in  the  world  to-day.  Of  these  every  fcnirtli  person 
is  a  Buddhist  and  worships  Gautama  Buddha.  The  word 
Biiddlia  is  only  a  title  meaning  "  the  Wise,"  and  Gautama 
is  the  real  name  of  the  prince  who  lived  six  hundied  years 
before  Christ.  After  learning  of  the  sorrow  and  suffering 
hi  the  world,  Gautama  left  his  father's  palace  and  s[)ent 
some  time  in  soHtudc  and  meditation.  After  this  In-  wan- 
dered over  India  preacliing  of  love,  kindness,  lliouglitful- 
ness,  and  other  truths  which,  if  practiced,  h.-  tlioiiglit  w<im1<1 
drive  away  the  uidiap[jiness  and  pain  in  the  world.    The 


35G  ASIA 

J^uddlui's  work  had  a  great  effect,  if  we  are  to  judge  from 
the  number  of  his  followers,  wlio  are  found  all  through  the 
Eastern  world.  Living  in  different  countries  as  they  do, 
and  separated  from  one  another,  their  beliefs  and  their 
methods  of  Avorship  vary.  Of  all  T')uddhists  the  Burmese 
people  seem  to  be  the  happiest,  though  this  may  be  owing 
not  so'  nuu'h  to  tlu'ir  religion  as  to  their  dispositions  and 
their  lovely  counti-y. 

Among  the  most  interestuig  sights  in  Ilangoon  are  the 
lumber  yards  and  saw-mills.  Most  of  the  lumber  that  we 
see  there  is  the  famous  teakwood,  which  Burma  produces 
in  greater  quantity  than  any  other  country.  We  see  little 
teakwood  in  our  country  excepting  in  expensive  furniture 
and  carved  ornaments.  It  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
woods  in  the  world.  It  is  very  hard  and  strong  and  not 
easily  injured  by  water  or  insects.  The  trees  grow  to  such 
a  size  that  logs  sixty  feet  long  and  from  three  to  five  feet 
in  diameter  ai'e  oljtained  from  them.  Such  great  logs  are 
very  heavy,  and  elephants  are  used  in  the  forests  and  in 
the  lumber  yards  to  move  them.    Kipling  writes  about  the 

Elephints  a-piliu'  teak 

In  the  sludgy,  squdgy  creek. 

Let  us  watch  them  at  work.  See  that  huge  beast  lift  the 
great  log,  which  must  weigh  a  ton,  and  carry  it  across  the 
yard.  There  is  a  pair  working  together.  They  kneel  one  at 
each  end  of  a  log  which  has  been  squared  in  the  saw-mill, 
put  their  long  tusks  underneath  it,  and  steady  it  with  their 
trunks  while  they  carry  it  to  the  pile  of  logs  by  the  water. 
See  how  carefully  they  lift  and  push  it  into  place  wdth 
their  truidvs  until  it  lies  even  with  the  rest. 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL 


357 


The  driver  sits  on  the  elephant  just  behind  its  huge  ears 
and  directs  it  in  its  hibors.  Sometimes  he  talks  to  it  in  a  lan- 
guage which  the  elepliant  seems  to  understand,  sometimes 


Fi. 


'I'fiHUTWdod  ,<■  rri.l,r» 

l-jij.    "  Ei.tiiiiM.i  a-iii.in'  Ti:ak  in  riiii  Si.iixiv,  .Sgrii(;v  Cukkk" 


he  guides  it  l)y  touching  it  in  different  [)laces  on  the  luad 
and  neck  with  a  steel-i)ointed  stick  wliich  he  carries.  The 
elephants  are  very  intelligent  and  learn  (piickly  to  do  what 
is  expected  of  them. 

Did  you  hear  that  gong  ?   That  is  the  signal  to  sto|i  woik. 
The  elephants  know  what  it  means  as  well  as  the  men  do, 


358 


ASIA 


and  although  elephants  nearly  always  move  deliberately, 
they  are  not  slow  in  dropping  their  logs  and  going  to  dinner. 
See  those  elephants  bathing  hi  the  river.  They  spray 
themselves  by  filling  their  trunks  and  then  letting  the 
water  fall  on  their  backs  and  run  down  over  their  broad 


©  U.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.  136.    See  Those  Elephants  bathing  in  the  River 

sides.  The  huge  animals  feel  the  heat  keenly,  and  they  are 
always  allowed  to  rest  for  some  time  in  the  hottest  part  of 
the  day. 

We  are  surprised  at  the  large  numbers  of  Chinese  whom 
we  see  in  Rangoon.  Look  at  the  signs  over  the  shops  — 
"  How  Wing,"  "  Ah  Lone  ";  it  seems  almost  as  if  we  were 
in  China.  There  are  many  Chinese  not  only  in  Rangoon  but 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL 


359 


all  through  Bunua  and  the  other  countries  of  this  eastern 

peninsula.    They  are  the  merchants,  the  manufacturcis,  tlio 

business  people,  and  they 

are  just  as  tlirif  ty,  just  as 

industrious,  and  just  as 

economical    here    as   in 

their  own  land. 

]Many  of  the  laborers, 
dock  hands,  porters,  and 
hired  hands  on  the  farms 
and  in  the  forests,  doing 
the  hardest,  poorest-paid 
labor,  are  the  Hindus. 
Where  are  tlie  Burmese, 
you  ask,  and  what  do 
they  do  ?  You  will  find 
most  of  them  hi  their 
homes,  on  their  little 
farms,  cultivating  their 
rice  fields  and  vegetable 
gardens.  Rice  and  vege- 
tables, with  the  fruits 
which  the  tropical  coun- 
try produces  without 
labor,  furnish  food  for 
the  family.  What  good 
will  money  do  a  Bur- 
man  ?  He  wants  but  a 
little  to  buy  himself  or 
his  wife  a  new  Ijriglit  silk  i-obc  I'or  the  nr\t  IVsliviil  in  tlif 
temple.    His  children  necil    lilllc  clitlliing,   lor  until   they 


Fig.  137.    Tin;  Ciiii.intKN  ni;i.i>  I.rrri.i; 
Ci.oTiiiNf; 


3G0 


ASIA 


are  five  or  six  years  old  they  wear  only  a  silver  cliaiu  with 
a  pendant  around  their  bodies.  Their  first  suit  of  clothes 
is  only  a  small  strip  of  cloth,  which  they  fasten  around 
their  waists  as  their  parents  do. 

After  the  rice  is  gathered,  the  Burmese  like  to  go  on  a 
picnic  or  to  an  entertainment  with  real  actors  or  with  dolls 
moved  by  string  and  wires.    This  takes  place  out  of  doors 

and  everybody  is  in- 
vited. It  may  last 
most  of  the  night ; 
each  person  l)rings 
his  own  mat  to  sit 
on,  so  that  in  case  he 
gets  tired  he  can 
curl  down  on  it  and 
take  a  nap.  When 
he  wakes,  the  fun  is 
still  going;'  on  and  he 
can  join  in  it  again. 
The  Burmese  are 
perhaps  the  happiest 
people  in  the  world. 
It  is  always  summer  in  their  country,  and  a  heavy 
rainfall  insures  good  crops.  If  their  little  houses  of  bam- 
boo are  destroyed  by  earthquake  or  fire,  as  is  often  the 
case,  it  takes  but  a  few  hours  to  build  others.  If  their 
furniture  is  burned,  what  does  it  matter  ?  A  few  mats, 
some  bamboo  blocks  for  pillows,  and  a  large  dish  for 
cooking  rice  are  easily  replaced,  or  they  can  live  with  their 
neighbors  until  they  can  keep  house  again.  They  have  few 
cares  or  worries.    Why  should  tliey  work  so  hard  and  get 


i,  II.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.  138.    The  Burmese  like  to 
GO  ox  Picnics 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL 


361 


so  tired  that  tliey  cannot  enjoy  a  good  time  ?  So  they 
laugh  and  chat  and  smoke  and  gossip  in  the  sunshine  like 
the  gay,  happy  children  of  nature  that  they  are. 

One  thing  that  the  Burmese  know  how  to  do  and  to  do 
well  is  to  raise  rice,  but  —  work  in  the  stuffy  mill,  in  the 
dark  forest,  or  on  the  hot  docks?  No  indeed,  not  they  1 
In  Burma,  in  Siam,  in  French  Indo-China,  the  development 


[•risA^if** 


^».^  m 


Fig.  139.    Si:e  That  Boat  Pi  li.  (ji    EAinuKNw  aki;  Jaks  and  N'ics.skls 

of  the  country  is  due  not  to  the  natives  but  to  the  hands 
of  the  Chinaman  and  the  Indian  niid  to  the  l)i-ains  of  the 
Englishman  and  Frenclmian. 

The  Irrawaddy  River,  on  Mliidi  Kaiigoon  is  situatc(l,  is 
the  great  highway  of  Burma  and  is  full  of  all  kinds  of 
craft.  See  that  boat  full  of  earthenware  jars  and  vessels 
which  the  potter  has  poled  down  to  Bangoon.  Here  and 
there  we  see  long  boats  loaded  witii  ric(s  which  has  come 
from  the  farms  farther  noi-tli  to  tlic  mills  at  Rangoon.   'IMie 


362 


ASIA 


wharves  arc  piled  liigli  with  Imndreds  and  tliousands  of 
bags  of  rice  waiting  to  be  loaded  onto  the  vessels  which 
crowd  the  harbor. 

On  the  river  there  are  also  immense  teakwood  rafts  with 
thatched  huts  on  them.  They  have  come  from  such  long 
distances   that   the   raftsmen,    before   starting,    linilt    their 


Pig.  140.    ().\  the  Irkawaddy   River  we  i^ee    Ieaivwood  Kafts 
WITH  Thatched  Huts  ox  them 

little  cabins  on  them  and  brought  along  their  wives  to 
cook  the  rice,  and  their  children  because  they  could  not 
be  left  behind  alone. 

The  teakwood  trees  are  so  valuable  that  the  government 
has  set  apart  as  reservations  the  forests  in  which  they  grow, 
just  as  the  United  States  government  has  reserved  areas 
of  big  trees  in  California.    The  privilege  of  lumbering  is 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL  363 

granted  to  a  few  companies,  who  pay  a  certain  sum  for 
every  tree  they  take  out  of  the  forests.  They  are  not 
allowed  to  choose  what  trees  they  shall  fell,  but  are  obliged 
to  accept  the  decision  of  a  government  inspector,  who  goes 
through  the  forest  and  girdles  every  teak  tree  which  is  of  a 
certain  size  and  which  stands  in  such  a  position  that  other 
trees  will  not  be  injured  by  its  fall.  In  the  course  of  some 
months  this  girdling,  or  cuttmg  around  the  tree  through 
the  bark  into  the  wood,  kills  it,  and  when  it  is  felled,  two 
or  tlu'ee  years  after  girdling,  it  is  dry,  seasoned  timber.  It 
is  hard  work  cutting  one's  way  through  the  jungle  to  get  at 
these  trees,  and  making  the  paths  through  which  they  are 
to  be  drawn  to  the  nearest  stream.  Elephants  are  very  useful 
in  this  work,  because  they  can  tear  aside  vines  and  shrubs 
and  make  their  way  through  thick  masses  of  undergrowth, 
and  can  haul  logs  too  heavy  for  horses  or  oxen  to  move. 

The  number  of  logs  arriving  at  Rangoon  in  a  year  depends 
on  the  rainfall  of  tlie  country.  That  is  strange,  is  it  not  ? 
In  the  rainy  season  most  of  the  streams  of  Burma,  and  of 
other  parts  of  the  peninsula  as  well,  are  Hooded,  and  it  is 
only  when  in  flood  that  many  of  them  are  deep  and  wide 
enough  to  float  such  great  logs.  The  ele[)hants  with  their 
drivers  often  follow  streams  for  some  distance,  releasing 
the  logs  which  have  caught  on  snags  and  jnUting  into  the 
water  tlK)8e  which  have  been  cast  upon  tlic  l)anks. 

Malaria,  mosquitoes,  snakes,  tigers,  rains,  and  lieat  make 
lumbering  in  Burma  both  unpleasant  and  dangcrons.  In 
going  through  the  jungle  you  may  pnt  up  y«»ui-  liand  to 
brush  aside  a  vine  which  is  in  the  way,  oidy  to  find  a  poison- 
ous snake  hanging  almost  in  your  face.  The  branches  of  tlie 
trees  may  be  covered  with  ants  whose  bite  is  very  painful. 


364  ASIA 

They  run  up  your  sleeve,  and  while  you  stop  to  brush 
them  off,  a  leech  may  fasten  itself  to  your  feet  or  legs.  It 
clings  very  tightly,  and  while  you  are  tryuig  to  get  rid 
of  it,  half  a  dozen  others  seize  the  opportunity  to  make 
their  way  toward  some  unprotected  spot  where  they  can 
get  their  fill  of  blood. 

In  spite  of  low  water  and  jams  and  other  difficulties, 
the  logs  from  the  smaller  streams  ^nally  reach  the  rivers, 
where  they  are  made  into  rafts  which  are  poled  slowly 
down  to  Rangoon.  So  long  is  the  time  between  girdling 
and  felling,  and  so  many  are  the  difficulties  in  haulmg  and 
floating,  that  it  is  usually  from  three  to  six  years  after  a 
government  inspectoi*  has  girdled  a  tree  before  it  reaches 
the  saw^mill. 

Not  all  of  the  teak  from  the  East  is  felled  in  Burma. 
Some  comes  also  from  northern  Siam  by  way  of  the  Salween 
Kiver  and  the  branches  of  the  Irrawaddy,  while  a  good 
deal  goes  also  down  the  Menam  River  to  Bangkok,  the 
capital  city  of  Siam. 

Siam  is  often  called  the  Land  of  the  White  Elephant. 
The  Siamese  believe  that  after  death  the  souls  of  human 
beings  are  reborn  hi  animals.  People  who  have  led  evil 
lives  or  who  have  held  lowly  positions  are  born  again  in 
some  small,  repulgive,  or  poisonous  animal,  while  the  good 
and  those  of  high  positions  occupy  the  bodies  of  higher 
animals.  They  think  that  elephants  contain  the  souls  of  de- 
parted rulers,  and  these  animals  are  respected  accordingly. 
The  so-called  white  elephants,  which,  by  the  way,  are  usually 
white  only  in  spots,  are  held  in  especial  esteem.  Some 
of  these  are  kept  at  the  royal  palace  in  Bangkok,  where 
they  are  carefully  tended  and  fed. 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL 


3G5 


The  king  of  Siam  is  the  only  independent  Buddhist 
ruler  in  the  world,  and  for  an  Eastern  monarch  he  is  very 
progressive,  owing  probably  to  the  fact  that  he  was  educated 
in  Europe.  Influenced  doubtless  by  his  Western  training 
and  by  the  English  and  French  in  the  countries  on  either 
hand,  he  has  started  many  reforms  in  Siani  and  introduced 


Fig.  141.    Schools  iiavi;  iuckn  kstaiu-imiku  in  Sivm 


many  modern  improvements.  Hi;  lias  built  railways  and 
roads,  established  schools,  and  tried  in  many  ways  to  open 
the  resources  of  his  kingdom. 

His  capital,  Bangkok,  m-ar  Hhj  mouth  of  ilic  Mcnaiii 
River,  is  considerably  largci  tlinn  ..ms  and  is  the  li^rgest  city 
in  the  peninsula.  It  is  the  only  really  huge  city  in  Siam, 
being  not  only  the  capital  and  the  residence  of  the  king 


366 


ASIA 


but  the  chief  seaport  as  well.  We  should  know  that  Bang- 
kok was  a  commercial  city  from  the  number  of  vessels  an- 
chored in  the  river.  There  are  large  steamers  flying  the 
flags  of  many  nations,  sailing  vessels  loaded  with  teakwood 


(£)  UiiikTwoo.l  &  Uiiilerwuoa 

Fig.  142.    More  than  Half  the  Population  of  Bangkok  is  said 

TO    LIVE    ON    THE    WaTER 

for  America  and  Europe,  steam  launches  scurrying  back 
and  forth,  ferryboats  plying  from  bank  to  bank,  scores  of 
rice  boats  from  the  farms  farther  north,  long,  slender  canoes, 
narrow  dugouts,  and  hundreds  of  house  boats.  More  than 
half  the  population  of  Bangkok  is  said  to  live  on  the  water, 
and  the  river  is  lined  for  ten  miles  with  their  queer  homes. 


BEYOXD  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL      367 

Each  house  boat  is  numbered  and  is  moored  in  its  own 
siDecial  place,  and  the  family  have  to  give  notice  to  the 
authorities  if  they  ^vish  to  move  to  some  other  place.  Many 
of  the  dwellers  on  the  house  boats  are  traders;  in  the  early 
morning  they  take  down  the  fronts  of  their  little  apartments 
and  without  more  preparation  are  ready  for  business.  Where 
do  they  get  their  food,  you  wonder.  Look !  there  comes 
the  cook  in  his  boat.  He  is  squatting  before  his  pot  of  rice, 
wliich  is  cooking  on  a  little  stove  before  him.  For  a  very 
small  sum  anj^one  can  get  a  hot,  nourishing  breakfast  all 
cooked.  If  a  family  wish  to  cook  their  own  food,  they  will 
have  plenty  of  opportunity  to  buy  the  material.  All  through 
the  early  morning,  before  daylight  and  after,  scores  of  little 
boats  fill  the  river.  Some  of  these  have  come  from  miles 
upstream.  The  Siamese  woman  has  risen  long  before  light, 
gone  to  the  river  to  bathe,  picked,  cleaned,  and  packed  her 
vegetables  for  market,  and,  before  tlie  sun  has  driven  the 
heavy  mist  from  the  lowlands,  is  paddling  downstream. 
She  enjoys  the  crowd,  the  gossip,  and  the  social  time ;  she 
makes  a  good  bargain  for  her  produce,  and  before  the  sun 
is  too  hot  she  returns  up  the  river  to  her  hut  on  the  bank. 
During  her  absence  her  husband  has  been  smoking  or 
chewdng  betel  nuts  wliile  he  looked  out  for  the  children. 
He  is  perfectly  willing  to  remain  at  home,  as  lie  does  not 
like  to  exert  himself  very  mu(h  ami  lie  knows  that  liis  wife 
can  make  a  much  better  trade  down  the  river  than  he  can. 
Rivers  are  the  chief  highways  of  Siam  a«  well  as  of 
Burma.  There  are  only  a  few  roads  between  the  larger 
places,  and  away  from  these  there  arc  only  jnngle  j>alhs 
two  or  three  feet  wide.  'J'he  rivers,  bi-ooks,  and  canals  form 
a  netwoik  all  over  the  country,  and  in  the  rainy  season, 


368 


ASIA 


when  much  of  the  land  is  flooded,  everybody  goes  about  in 
boats.  Nearly  all  the  villages  and  farms  are  on  the  banks 
of  the  streams,  and  everywhere  back  of  this  cultivated  strip 
lie  the  uninhabited  jungles  and  forests. 

If  we  wish  to  see  the  real  life  of  the  peninsula,  we  must 
get  up  into  the  country  to  these  scattered  villages,  for  in 

Rangoon  and  Bang- 
kok, and  in  Saigon, 
the  port  of  French 
Indo-China,  the  na- 
tives have  mixed  so 
much  with  foreign- 
ers that  they  have 
adopted  some  of 
their  customs. 

The  best  time  to 
go  up  the  river  is  in 
December  or  Janu- 
ary, for  then  the 
rains  are  over  and 
the  weather  is  not 
unbearably  hot.  For 
a  part  of  the  way 
the  water  is  darkened  by  the  overarchmg  trees,  which  in 
the  evening  are  illuminated  by  thousands  of  fireflies,  while 
at  times  we  glide  between  bare  brown  fields,  which  later 
will  be  covered  with  a  green  carpet  of  rice. 

Let  us  visit  this  little  village  nestling  under  the  palm 
trees  on  the  river  bank.  The  people  are  very  friendly; 
they  offer  our  coolies  betel  nuts  to  chew  and  invite  us  to 
climb  the  ladder  to  their  veranda.    The  houses,  raised  on 


ly  H.  C.  White  Co. 


Fig.  143.    Let  us  visit  This  Little  Vil- 
lage  NESTLING    UNDER   THE   PaLM  TrEES 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL      369 

teakwood  posts  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground,  look 
very  much  alike  and  are  shnilar  to  those  in  Burma.  Under- 
neath the  buildings  we  see  some  hens  and  a  dog  pickmg 
up  the  refuse  which  the  people  have  tlirown  there.  The 
thatched  roof  extends  some  distance  beyond  the  walls  and 
forms  a  cover  for  the  veranda.  Through  the  open  front  of 
the  house  we  can  see  the  room  inside,  which  seems  to  be 
empty  save  for  a  few  mats  on  the  floor.  Some  matting 
forms  a  screen  between  this  room  and  the  kitchen  behind. 
The  people  spend  nmch  of  their  time  on  the  veranda,  and 
as  we  are  strangers,  we  shall  be  entertained  there. 

Will  you  liave  some  of  the  tea  which  the  woman  is  offer- 
ing you  ?  I  am  afraid  you  will  not  like  it.  You  are  ex- 
pected to  take  the  leaves,  roll  them  into  a  ball,  and  keep 
this  in  your  cheek  until  the  flavor  is  gone.  The  people  of 
northern  Siam  always  use  tea  in  this  way,  and  the  ball 
thrust  into  tlie  cheek  makes  them  look  as  if  they  had  a 
severe  toothache  or  the  mumps.  Their  faces  are  not  very 
attractive  when  they  smile,  for  the  betel  leaf  and  nut  which 
they  chew  so  constantly  causes  their  gums  to  shrink  and 
their  teeth  to  turn  black.  Pcrliaps  tliey  do  not  liki'  our 
white  teeth  any  better  than  we  like  their  black  ones.  See 
how  inquisitive  they  are !  They  like  to  touch  our  clothes 
and  our  shoes.  No  doubt  we  seem  very  queer  to  them,  for 
this  is  an  out-of-the-way  place  and  many  of  tlu;  villagers 
have  never  seen  a  foreigner  hvJove. 

Let  us  go  out  into  tin;  (iclds.  Look  at  those  bulfulocs  en- 
joyijig  th(!ir  ])atli  in  llic  livrr.  liulTaiocs  cannot  li\t'  unless 
they  can  spend  some  of  their  time  in  the  water;  on  the 
farms  in  the  higlici',  drier  regions  farther  north  among  the 
hilLs  we  shall  find  more  oxen  and  hn Hocks  tlian  buffaloes. 


370 


ASIA 


J^ 


Do  not  go  too  near  the  creatures.  They  are  not  used  to 
foreigners  and  do  not  like  them,  though  they  are  gentl(i 
enough  with  the  farmer  and  his  children.  The  buffaloes  arc 
having  an  easy  time  now,  but  later  in  the  season  the  owner 
will  fasten  a  pair  of  them  to  his  little  wooden  plow  and  stir 
up  the  soil  in  the  muddy  field  so  that  he  may  plant  his 
rice.    In  the  villages  far  up  the  river  the  neighbors  help 

m  planting  one  an- 
other's fields,  and 
manage  to  have  a 
merry  time  together 
in  spite  of  the  hard 
work. 

When  the  rice  is 
ready  for  harvest- 
ing, it  is  cut  with 
a  sickle  and  hung 
on  frames  to  dry, 
in  much  the  same 
way  as  hay  is  dried 
in  western  Norway. 
When  dry  it  is  taken 
to  the  threshing  floor 
and  stacked.  As  we  walk  through  the  village  we  can  see 
many  of  these  huge  stacks ;  men  and  women  take  large  arm- 
fuls  of  the  straw  and  spread  it  evenly  on  the  hard-beaten 
ground.  See  those  five  buffaloes  fastened  side  by  side  to 
one  another  and  to  a  central  post.  They  walk  slowly  round 
and  round,  tramping  out  the  grain  with  their  heavy  feet. 
What  a  good  time  that  little  naked  brown  boy  who  drives 
them  is  having !   When  he  wants  them  to  go  faster,  he  hits 


©  H.  C.  White  Co. 

Fig.  144.  Look  at  Those  Buffaloes  enjoy- 
ing THEIR  Bath  in  the  River 


BEYOXD  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL      371 

them  with  a  bunch  of  straw  or  twists  the  tail  of  the  slowest 
one.  He  will  not  hurt  them  much,  for  these  people  are  kind 
to  their  animals,  which  consequently  look  sleek  and  fat. 

There  is  a  fresh  breeze  blowing,  and  the  men  are  winnow- 
ing the  rice.  The  wind  blows  the  chaff  away,  while  tlie  rice 
falls  in  heaps  at  their  feet.  Now  they  scrape  it  up  in  basket- 
fuls  and  store  it  in  that  great  round  bin,  which  is  made  of 
cane  plastered  with  mud  and  is  raised  on  posts  so  that  the 
grain  will  be  kept  dry  and  free  from  insects.  Watch  that 
woman  pound  some  of  the  rice  so  that  she  may  cook  it  for 
dmner.  She  puts  several  haiidfuls  into  a  hollowed  stone 
which  has  been  worn  smooth  by  many  years  of  pounding. 
The  stick  she  nses  is  nearly  as  tall  as  she  is.  You  \\ould 
not  be  able  to  pound  tlie  rice  very  long  with  such  a  heavy 
tool,  but  she  seems  to  do  it  very  easily.  Take  a  peep  into 
the  intone  mortar.  The  little  brown  husks  are  loosened  from 
the  kernel,  and  though  it  does  not  look  as  smooth  and  shiny 
as  we  are  accustomed  to  see  it,  it  is  white  and  clean.  Now 
she  filLs  a  wicker  basket  and  shakes  it  from  side  to  side  with 
a  little  toss  now  and  then  in  such  a  way  as  to  throw  the 
rice  up  and  catch  it  again  while  the  bran  is  l»lo\\n  away. 

Later  she  will  cook  the  rice  over  a  little  eharcoal  fire,  and 
then  the  men  will  sit  in  a  circle  around  the  disli  and  help 
themselves,  using  banana  leaves  for  phites.  'I'hey  roll  ;i 
little  at  a  time  into  a  ball  with  their  curry  and  eat  ii  will: 
a  relish.  Every  now  and  then  they  take  from  another  disli 
a  piece  of  dried  fish,  a  little  curry,  or  some  spicy  sauce 
which  serves  as  a  flavoring  for  the  rice.  While  llu!  men 
SHKjke  or  chew  betel  leaf  with  the  nut,  the  women  and 
girls  will  eat  what  is  left.  There  ai'e  no  dishes  to  wash,  no 
table  to  clear  off,  and  no  lo(jd  to  put  away. 


372 


ASIA 


To-iiiglit  the  farmer  whose  rice  is  all  threshed  will  give 
an  entertainnieiit  and  everybody  will  go.  The  children  will 
listen  and  look  on  for  a  while  and  then  go  to  sleep  under 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  145.    You  would  not  be  able  to  pound  Rice  very  long  with 
Such  a  Heavy  Tool 


the  stars  with  their  heads  on  their  mothers'  knees.  If  we 
go  we  can  stay  as  long  as  we  like,  take  a  nap  if  we  wish 
when  we  are  tired,  and  leave  when  we  please. 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL      373 

There  is  mucli  more  rice  raised  in  this  village  than  the 
people  will  need,  so  the  men  are  loading  the  narrow  dug- 
outs down  m  the  river,  and  to-morrow  they  or  their  wives 
will  start  on  their  long  journey  to  the  rice-mills  at  Bang- 
kok. If  they  get  a  good  price  for  the  rice,  they  will  bring 
back  some  gay-colored  cotton  cloth  for  then-  dresses,  a  silver 
anklet  for  one  of  the  children,  or  perhaps  a  new  copper 
vessel  to  cook  the  rice  in. 

Our  next  visit  is  to  the  island  kingdom  of  Japan,  and 
on  our  way  we  will  stop  at  Singapore.  This  city  is  splen- 
didly located  on  a  little  island  at  the  extreme  southern 
end  of  the  penmsula  of  Malakka,  on  the  great  ocean  route 
to  Chma  and  Japan.  It  is  the  doorway  to  the  East.  Every 
vessel  sailmg  through  the  Strait  of  Malakka  stops  at  Singa- 
pore, as  it  is  about  halfway  between  China  and  Australia 
and  halfway  between  India  and  China.  It  is  the  most 
important  outpost  of  England  between  Ceylon  and  Hong- 
kong, and  is  one  of  the  great  commercial  cities  of  the  world. 
Should  you  like  to  peep  into  the  liolds  of  the  thousands  of 
vessels  which  enter  and  leave  its  harbor  every  year,  and  into 
the  great  warehouses  which  line  tlie  water  front,  and  see 
what  they  contain,  or  visit  the  merchants  hi  the  tine  busi- 
ness blocks  and  see  what  goods  they  handle  and  in  what 
their  wealth  consists  ? 

Let  me  tell  you  some  of  these  products.  Most  iiiiporlaiil 
of  all  is  tin.  More  than  half  the  world's  supply  comes 
from  the  Malay  States,  and  great  (juantities  besides  from 
the  neighboring  island  of  Java.  You  will  j.robably  guess 
that  rice  ranks  next  in  value.  If  we  should  try  to  store  in 
great  warehouses  all  the  rice  that  is  shippe(l  annually 
from  the  harbor  of  Singapore,  we  should  need  a  row  of 


374  A.SIA 

buildings  each  one  hundred  feet  long,  one  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  one  hundred  feet  high,  stretching  for  a  tliird  of 
a  mile  along  the  \\'ater  front. 

Another  produt't  \\  hidi  we  shall  find  stored  in  the  ware- 
houses m  Singapore  and  in  the  holds  of  the  vessels  in  the 
harbor  is  rubber.  There  was  never  such  a  boom  in  any 
other  industry  m  the  history  of  tlic  peninsula.  In  less 
tlian  ten  years  the  amount  of  rubber  exported  increased 
more  than  a  thousand  times.  Dozens  of  great  companies 
have  been  formed,  and  on  their  large  plantations  millions 
of  trees  have  been  planted.  These  trees  are  tapped  and  the 
milky  sap  prepared  for  market  by  the  most  modern  methods. 
It  is  of  little  use  to  tell  how  many  million  pounds  are  thus 
produced  annually,  as  in  a  year  or  two  this  amount  may 
be  more  than  doubled.  Tli'a/.il  long  supplied  the  w^orld  with 
rubber  from  trees  in  the  Amazon  valley.  To-day  much  more 
rubber  comes  from  the  plantations  in  these  Eastern  lands. 

Let  us  take  a  short  trip  into  the  INIalay  States  and  visit 
some  of  the  famous  tin  mmes.  Notice  on  your  map  how 
the  mountains  on  the  western  part  of  Siam  contmue  south- 
ward and  form  the  backbone  of  the  long,  narrow  penmsula. 
It  is  in  these  mountains  that  tin  is  obtamed. 

In  the  lowlands  on  the  coast  and  along  the  streams 
are  the  villages  and  farms  which  are  very  similar  to  those 
already  described  in  Burma  and  Siam.  The  little  thatch- 
roofed  houses,  raised  on  posts  under  the  shade  of  palms 
and  fruit  trees,  cluster  on  the  shore,  with  the  low  rice  fields 
stretclmig  back  toward  the  jungle.  On  all  sides  except  the 
water  edge  the  dark  green  forest  shuts  in  the  little  village 
and  extends,  perhaps  for  miles,  to  the  next  opening  with  its 
cluster  of  houses  and  its  cultivated  fields. 


BEYOXD  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL      375 

All  these  inhabited  lands  were  once  covered  with  forests, 
which  have  been  cleared  little  by  little.  The  area  occupied 
by  the  villages,  however,  is  very  small  compared  with  the 
amount  of  forest  land  which  extends  all  over  tlie  peninsula. 
Through  the  deep  woods  are  a  few  narrow  paths  matted 
with  leaves  and  moss.  On  either  side  is  the  dark,  impene- 
trable jungle,  tangled  with  bushes,  briers,  and  vines.  Some 
of  the  creepers  which  wind  themselves  around  the  large 
trees  have  trunks  nearly  as  large  as  your  body,  and  so 
closely  do  they  twist  themselves  around  the  forest  giants 
that,  when  a  tree  is  cut,  it  often  I'eniuins  standing  upright, 
unable  to  fall. 

As  we  make  our  way  northward  toward  the  tin  mines 
we  shall  pass  man}-  pepper  plantations.  Here  is  one  in  the 
(dearing  before  us.  The  plants  are  great  climbers  and  twme 
over  tall  poles,  reminding  us  of  the  hop  vines  which  we  saw 
in  (Tei-many.  It  is  a  pretty  sight.  The  vines  are  covered 
with  spikes  of  red  Ijei-ries  aliont  as  large  as  peas,  which, 
when  fully  ripe,  are  nearly  l)la('k. 

See  the  men  on  ladders,  picking  the  chisteis  of  berries. 
Others  are  cleaning  them,  w^hile  still  others  are  spreading 
them  in  bamboo  baskets  to  dry  in  the  sun.  These  will  be 
used  for  black  pepper.  If  the  farmer  is  to  make  white 
pepper  from  hi?i  berries,  he  allows  tliem  to  i-emain  on  the 
vines  until  they  are  fully  ripe.  Aflrr  llicy  arc  gathered 
they  are  soaked  in  water,  and  then  tlie  workmen  iiib  oil 
the  dark  outer  coverings  and  dry  the  berries  in  the  snn. 

Here  we  are  at  the  mines.  Are  you  expecting  to  see  a 
deep  sliaft  with  elevators  niiming  up  ami  ilown,  and  lo  go 
liundreds  of  feet  flown  in  the  earth  to  see  the  miners  at 
work,  as  you  would  in  a  coal  muie  ?    IT  so,  you  will  be  very 


376  ASIA 

much  surprised  at  most  of  the  Malay  tm  mines.  At  the 
place  we  are  visithig  all  we  can  see  is  a  great  hole  in  the 
ground,  which  looks  a  little  as  if  it  might  be  intended  for 
the  cellar  of  a  large  building.  See  those  Cliinese  laborers 
carrying  out  of  the  mine  the  soil  which  other  Avorkmen 
have  been  spading  loose.  Each  one  has  a  heavy  basket 
full  of  dirt  at  either  end  of  a  long  bamboo  pole  which  is 
balanced  on  the  shoulder.  The  ladder  on  which  they  come 
up  from  the  pit  is  a  huge  tree  trunk  with  rough  steps  cut 
in  it.  I  doubt  if  you  could  keep  your  balance  on  it  even  if 
you  had  no  load  to  carry,  but  the  coolies  with  their  lieavy 
baskets  niu  up  and  down  without  trouble,  never  slipping 
or  falling.  Other  coolies  throw  this  dirt  which  has  been 
brought  out  of  the  pit  into  long,  narrow  troughs  through 
wliieli  water  is  flowing.  One  or  two  men  rake  the  dirt 
slowly  back  and  forth  as  it  is  thrown  in,  and  the  ore, 
which  is  heavy,  sinks  to  the  bottom  of  the  trough,  wliile 
the  soil  is  carried  out  with  the  water.  Some  of  the  ore 
is  taken  to  charcoal  furnaces  near  by  to  be  smelted,  but 
more  is  put  into  bags  and  carried  to  the  great  smelting 
works  at  Singapore. 

We  have  wandered  long  enough  in  the  tropical  forests, 
jungle  lands,  and  crowded  cities  of  southern  Asia.  They 
are  unhealthy  places  even  for  the  natives,  and  much  more 
so  for  foreigners  who  are  not  accustomed  to  such  great 
heat.  We  shall  be  glad  to  leave  the  heat,  the  dirt,  the 
unattractive  houses,  and  the  betel-chewing  peo})le  for  the 
balmy  breezes,  the  neat,  simple  homes,  and  the  clean, 
damty  inhabitants  of  the  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun. 


BEYOND  THE  BAY  OF  BENGAL  377 

TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  Size  and  divisions  of  tlie  eastern  peninsula  of  southern  Asia. 

2.  Surface  and  drainage. 

3.  Description  of  Rangoon. 

4.  The  rice  industry. 

5.  Gautama  Buddha. 

6.  Teak  trees  and  elephants. 

7.  Life  in  Burma. 

8.  The  Irrawaddy  River. 

9.  The  Land  of  the  White  Elephant. 

10.  Bangkok,  the  capital  of  Siam. 

11.  Siamese  villages  and  farms. 

12.  The  Malay  Peninsula. 

13.  The  city  of  Singapore. 

14.  Malakkan  villages. 

15.  Pepper  plantations. 

16.  A  visit  to  a  tin  mine. 


II 

1.  Make  a  list  of  the  large  rivers  of  Asia  that  flow  south.  Beside 
each  one  write  the  name  of  a  river  of  about  the  same  length  in  some 
other  continent. 

2.  Sketch  a  map  of  the  peninsula  east  of  India.  Show  the  sur- 
rounding waters  and  countries.  Write  the  names  of  the  different 
divisions  included  in  the  peninsula. 

3.  In  each  division  of  the  above  map  write  tlic  nanic  of  our  or 
more  states  of  our  country  which  cover  al)out  the  same  area. 

4.  In  an  outline  map  locate  the  four  largest  cities  of  tlif  penin- 
sula. Beside  each  one  write  the  name  of  a  city  in  the  rnitcd  States 
of  about  the  same  size. 

5.  Compare  methods  of  ImnbcTiiig  in  tlic  rnitcl  States  ami  in 
Burma.  Make  a  list  of  tin-  ililtViniccs  in  liic  carrying  «>n  "f  tiiis 
industry. 

6.  Make  a  list  of  the  fcjri'ign  possessions  of  (ireat  Britain,  llow 
many  of  these  are  in  Asia? 


378 


ASIA 


III 

Be  able  to  spell  and  jironounce  the  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chapter. 


Bay  of  Bengal 
Arabian  Sea 
China  Sea 
Strait  of  j\Ialakka 
Mekong  River 
Hngli  River 
Ganges  River 
Irrawaddy  River 
Menain  River 
Mississippi  River 
Amazon  River 
Ceylon 

Malay  Peninsula 
Straits  Settlements 
Burma 


Indo-China 

Siam 

Borneo 

Bangkok 

Saigon 

Singapore 

Calcutta 

Antwerp 

London 

Hauil)urg 

Philadelphia 

St.  Louis 

Portland 

Rangoon 

Honakousc 


Iji  LoDifitade  lyW     EumI 


THE  JAPANESE  EMPIRE 


iicAn,or  mm 

C     i3o    2)0    36o    400  ^M 

i  Groi'iiwlcb  MO 


CHAPTER    XVII 


LAXD   OF   THE   RISING  SUX 

We  shall  find  our  trip  to  Japan  a  very  interesting  one. 
It  will  be  a  relief  to  see  clean  people,  to  visit  clean  houses, 
and  to  walk  in  clean  streets.  We  shall  enjoy  being  with 
people  who  are  so  polite.  No  matter  what  funny  mistakes 
we  may  make  because 
we  do  not  know  their 
customs,  they  will  ])t' 
much  too  courteous 
to  make  us  uncom- 
fortable by  laughing. 
They  are  gentle  and 
kind  to  one  another 
also,  and  we  shall  see 
little  rude  or  rougli 
behavior  among  them. 
The  girls  do  not  com- 
jdain  because  they 
have  to  carry  a  little  brother  or  sister  on  their  ])a('ks  (hiring 
play  hours;  the  boys  playing  on  the  streets  do  not  (|uarr('l 
or  fight ;  and  if  you  could  undei'stand  their  ('(invcrsation, 
you  would  never  hear  one  of  tiifin  swear.  All  tlitoiigli  our 
trip  we  shall  be  surrounded  by  happy  people  and  smiling 
faces,  for  from  the  time  tlicy  can  understand  anylliing,  the 
Japane.se  are  taught  to  hide  their  troubles  with  a  smile. 

:{7!> 


■ 

I9^H 

WBmf 

^ 

IKt'  VIk  i-S^^H 

Fi< 


1  Hi. 


I  r    \\  it.i.    III.    A    ]{i,i. 
Clkan  Pkoi'i.k 


380 


ASIA 


If  they  have  sorrow,  tliat  is  no  reason  why  they  should 
make  people  around  them  unhappy.  At  the  time  of  the 
Japanese  wars  with  China  and  Russia,  when  the  soldiers 

were  leaving  for  the 
front,  there  were 
few  tears  shed.  The 
women  kept  their 
brave  smiles  on  their 
faces  until  they  could 
Cfive  way  to  their 
sorrow  in  private, 
when  no  one  would 
be  disturbed  by  their 
unhappiness. 

We  are  especially 
interested  in  our  is- 
land neighbor  across 
tlie  Pacific,  because 
we  have  more  to  do 
with  her  than  with 
any  other  Asiatic 
country.  We  bu^ 
large  quantities  of 
goods  from  Japan, 
and  we  send  her  a 
great  deal  in  return. 
As  we  visit  the  farms 
and  the  factories  and 
see  what  the  people  produce  and  what  their  needs  are,  we 
shall  learn  what  are  the  cargoes  of  the  vessels  which  ply 
between  our  Pacific  ports  and  Yokohama. 


Fui.  147.    The   Girls  carry   a  Little 
Brother  or  Sister  ox  their  Backs 


LAND  OF  THE  RISING  SUN  381 

We  shall  doubtless  make  mistakes  in  our  visit  to  the 
Japanese,  for  they  do  so  many  things  in  just  the  opposite 
way  from  that  to  which  we  are  accustomed.  When  we 
enter  their  houses  we  must  take  off  our  shoes  as  well  as 
our  hats;  when  we  read  their  books  we  must  besfin  at 
what  would  be  our  last  page  and  read  backwards ;  if  we 
should  build  a  house  there,  we  should  put  our  garden 
behind  it  instead  of  in  front ;  we  should  first  make  the 
roof  and  then  raise  it  to  its  position ;  we  should  have  no 
cellar,  no  attic,  no  glass  for  the  Avindows,  no  hinges  for  the 
doors,  no  paint  for  the  walls,  and  no  chairs,  beds,  or  tables. 

When  we  leave  the  Malay  States  we  are  a  long  A\ay 
from  Japan.  The  distance  from  Singapore  to  Yokohama 
is  as  far  as  from  New  York  to  London.  We  may  like  to 
make  the  journey  less  tiresome  by  stopping  at  Nagasaki, 
one  of  the  most  important  ports  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  Japanese  empire.  It  has  a  beautiful  harbor  —  a  deep 
inlet  surrounded  by  steep  hills  green  w  itli  forests  of  maple, 
oak,  and  camphor  trees.  Down  near  the  water  we  see 
smoky  steel  works  and  immense  coal  yards.  Rich  coal  de- 
posits lie  near  the  city  of  Nagasaki,  and  it  is  more  noted 
as  a  coaling  station  than  for  its  manufactures,  though  these 
are  important. 

As  we  still  have  several  liundred  miles  to  go  before  we 
arrive  at  Yokohama,  we  will  take  on  coal  here.  See  tlie 
coal  Vjarges  out  in  the  harbor  steaming  slowly  alongside 
our  ship.  The  little  brown  workmen  run  ladders  wy  the 
ship's  side,  and  Japanese  women  mount  the  liuMns  until 
one  is  standing  on  each  round.  Now  a  man  on  the  barge 
passes  a  basket  of  coal  to  the  first  woman,  wlm  with  a 
quick,  strong  motion  swings  it  up  to  the  one  on  ilic  round 


382  ASIA 

above  her.  She  passes  it  to  the  next  one,  and  she  to  the 
next,  and  so  on  until  the  baskets  are  coming  up  from  the 
barge  in  quick  succession.  It  seems  queer,  does  it  not,  to 
see  women  douig  this  hard  work  ?  Th(!y  do  not  seem  to 
mind  it,  however,  and  as  they  raise  the  heavy  ))askets 
they  chatter  and  laugh  with  the  cheerfulness  which  seems 
so  natural  to  these  little  people. 

Nagasaki  is  situated  on  the  island  of  Kiushu,  the  most 
soutliern  of  the  five  large  islands  which  make  up  the  greater 
part  of  the  Japanese  empire.  Honshu,  farther  north,  is  the 
largest  and  most  thickly  settled.  Most  of  the  people  live 
within  a  few  degrees  north  or  south  of  Yokohama.  So,  after 
taking  on  coal  at  Nagasaki,  we  will  steam  on  to  this  more 
northerly  port. 

Look  at  your  map  and  see  for  what  a  long  distance 
north  and  south  the  empire  of  .Japan  extends.  The  pos- 
sessions farthest  north  are  the  Kurile  Islands  (just  south 
of  the  peninsula  of  Kamchatka)  and  the  southern  half  of 
Sakhalin  Island,  while  Formosa  reaches  beyond  the  tropic 
of  Cancer.  If  the  Japan  Islands  lay  along  the  coast  of 
North  America,  they  would  stretch  from  about  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  United  States  to  the  latitude  of  the  city 
of  Mexico.  Because  of  the  great  length  of  the  empire  the 
climate  is  very  different  in  the  northern  and  southern  parts. 
Sakhalin,  the  Kurile  Islands,  Yezo,  and  northern  Honshu 
have  cold  winters  and  much  ice  and  snow,  and.  the  few 
people  who  live  in  this  part  of  the  empire  differ  in  their 
manner  of  life  from  those  who  enjoy  the  milder  climate 
of  the  more  southerly  regions. 

The  Ainus,  who  live  in  Yezo  and  the  Kurile  Islands,  are  to 
Japan  what  the  American  Indians  are  to  the  United  States. 


Fk;.  148.    It  seems  Qleek  to  see   Women   i>oin< 

AS   COALING    A   VeSSEL 


...1  .V  riidcrwiMHt 

11    IIaick   Wokk 


38.'] 


384 


ASIA 


They  are  the  descendants  of  the  natives  whom  the  Japanese 
have  pushed  farther  and  farther  north  as  they  spread  over 
the  country.  Tlie  Auius  are  as  dirty  as  tlie  Japanese  are 
clean,  and  seem  sIoav  and  dull  beside  them.  They  are  much 
taller  also,  and  the  men  wear  thick  black  hair  and  beards. 
The  Ainu  women,  not  to  be  outdone,  are  tattooed  on  their 
upper  lips  m  imitation  of  mustaches.    They  live  in  mean 

little  villages  made 
up  of  huts  which  are 
thatched  not  only  on 
the  roofs  but  on  the 
sides  as  well,  and 
which  at  a  distance 
resemble  a  collection 
of  haystacks.  The 
Ainus  hunt  the  bear 
and  deer  and  catch 
a  good  deal  of  fish, 
which  is  one  of  their 
principal  articles  of 
food.  The  sight  of  an 
Ainu,  withhis  matted 
hair  and  beard,  fishing  with  a  long  spear  in  his  narrow  dug- 
out makes  us  think  that  we  have  gone  back  centuries  in 
history  and  are  watching  one  of  the  early  races  of  the  earth. 
In  spite  of  the  fact  that"  the  Japanese  empire  stretches 
so  far  north  and  soiith,  it  really  covers  only  a  small  area. 
You  can  realize  how  crowded  it  is  when  you  learn  that  the 
combmed  area  of  these  islands  is  not  much  greater  than 
that  of  California,  and  that  into  them  are  crowded  more 
than  half  as  many  'people  as  in  the  United  States.    The 


Pig.  149.    Tue  Aim  s  usu  Long,  Nakkow 
Dugouts 


LAND  OF  THE  RISING  SUN  385 

islands  are  largely  of  volcanic  formation,  and  in  parts  are 
so  mountainous  and  so  rocky  that  the  land  is  unfit  for 
cultivation,  and  hence  is  unoccupied ;  so  you  can  imagme 
how  crowded  the  fertile  portions  must  be.  England,  to  be 
sure,  because  of  her  many  great  cities,  is  even  more  densely 
populated  than  Japan,  but  England  is  a  manufacturing 
country  and  has  not  for  many  years  attempted  to  feed  and 
clothe  her  people  from  her  own  products.  Until  recently, 
however,  Japan  has  been  an  agricultural  nation,  and  even 
to-day  more  than  half  of  her  people  are  faruiers.  It  seems 
wonderful  that,  hampered  as  she  is  by  her  small  area  and 
her  lack  of  arable  land,  Japan  has  been  able  to  feed,  clothe, 
and  educate  her  people  and  build  up  an  army  and  navy 
so  strong  and  well-disciplined  that  she  has  defeated  in 
war  both  China  and  Russia  —  nations  many  times  as  large 
as  she  is. 

It  is  not  as  an  agricultural  nation,  however,  that  Japan 
will  be  famous  in  the  future.  On  account  of  her  small  area 
and  crowded  population  she  must  turn  her  attention,  as 
indeed  she  already  has,  to  manufacturing  and  connnerce. 
Her  short,  swift  rivers  furnishing  plenty  of  water  power 
and  electricity,  her  stores  of  coal,  copper,  and  other  min- 
erals, her  seaports  with  their  s})lendid  harbors,  her  favor- 
able situation  for  importing  raw  materials,  her  nearness  to 
the  densely  populated  countries  of  Asia,  just  awakening  to 
new  needs  and  desires,  and  her  ambitious,  energetic  people, 
will  all  help  her  in  becoming  the  manufacturing  nation  of 
the  East.  She  has  already  in  her  cities  many  large  factories 
filled  with  skillful  workmen  and  np-to-date  niacliinery.  We 
shall  visit  some  of  these,  and  see  what  goods  are  being 
turned  out  by  these   friendly    little    people;   we   shall  see 


386  ASIA 

the  farms  also  where  some  of  the  material  is  raised  which 
is  used  in  these  factories ;  we  shall  visit  the  seaports  and 
see  what  goods  are  stored  in  the  warehouses,  and  what 
freight  the  great  vessels  anchored  in  the  harbors  have 
brought  to  Japan,  and  what  is  being  stored  in  their  holds 
to  carry  to  other  nations. 

So,  without  stopping  to  talk  longer  of  the  people  and 
their  queer  customs,  we  will  start  on  our  trip  through  the 
country  and  learn  many  things  as  we  go. 

TOPICS   FOR   STUDY 


1.  Japanese  character. 

2.  Relations  with  the  United  States. 

3.  Queer  Japanese  customs. 

4.  Xagasaki. 

5.  Extent  of  the  Japanese  empii-e. 

6.  Climate  of  Japan. 

7.  The  Ainus  of  northern  Japan. 

8.  Area  and  population. 

9.  The  future  of  the  Laud  of  the  Rising  Sun. 

11 

1.  Describe  the  route  from  New  York  to  Yokohama.  How  long 
is  the  land  trip  ?  the  water  trip  ? 

2.  What  is  the  width  of  the  Pacific  Ocean?  Compare  this  with 
that  of  the  Atlantic.  How  much  longer  would  it  take  to  cross  the 
Pacific  than  the  Atlantic  ? 

3.  Describe  the  route  from  London  to  Y'okohama. 

4.  How  has  the  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal  affected  the  trade 
routes  to  Japan? 

5.  Make  a  sketch  of  the  Japanese  empire.  Write  the  names  of 
the  neighboring  waters  and  countries.  AVrite  the  names  of  the  five 
large  islands.    Show  the  tropic  of  Cancer. 


LAND  OF  THE  EISING  SUN  387 

6.  Sketch  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Show  the  chief  seaports  of  America 
and  Asia.    Trace  the  course  of  the  Japan  current. 

7.  Describe  the  effect  of  the  Japan  current  on  the  temperature 
and  rainfall  of  western  North  America. 

8.  AVhat  lands  would  be  affected  by  the  Japan  current,  and  in 
what  way  if  the  prevailing  winds  of  the  temperate  zone  were  east- 
erly instead  of  westerly  ? 

9.  Find  the  density  of  population  of  the  following  countries  : 
the  United  States,  Japan,  England,  Belgium,  Germany,  Russia. 
What  do  you  infer  as  to  the  chief  occupations? 

Tir 

Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.  Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chapter. 

United  States  Kamchatka 

Russia  Honshu 

China  Formosa 

England  Yezo 

California  Yokohama 

Kiushu  Nagasaki 

Kurile  Islands  Singapore 

Sakhalin  Mexico  City 


CHAPTER   XV III 
CITY  AND  ('orN'I'KV    LIFE   IN  JArAN 

About  iniilway  on  the  eastern  coast  of  ITonsliu,  the  largest 
of  the  Japan  Islands,  we  enter  Tokyo  Bay.  and  from  oui 
vessel  we  get  our  tirst  view  of  Fujiyama,  the  mountain 
so  often  shown  in  Japanese  pictures.  It  is  very  beautiful, 
and  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  people  love  to  paint  it.  The 
Japan  Islands  form  part  of  a  great  volcanic  belt  which 
stretches  along  the  Pacific  shores  of  Asia,  and  Fujiyama  is 
a  volcano  which,  during  its  early  life,  had  several  eruptions, 
none  of  which  destroyed  its  perfect  cone  shape.  It  wears 
its  white  snow  cap  all  the  year  except  during  the  hottest 
months.  If  we  could  take  time  to  climb  it,  we  should  not 
find  the  way  lonely,  for  thousands  of  pilgrims  climb  to  its 
summit  every  year. 

We  are  somewhat  disappointed  in  our  first  impression  of 
Yokohama,  Is  it  really  a  Japanese  city  ?  The  great  ware- 
houses, docks,  street  cars,  and  electric  lights  seem  very 
modern  and  very  much  like  what  we  might  see  in  other  parts 
of  the  world.  Yokohama  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  of 
Japanese  cities.  Being  one  of  the  chief  commercial  ports,  it 
has  a  close  relation  with  foreigners  and  foreign  countries, 
and  lias  a  greater  number  of  foreign  residents  than  any  other 
Japanese  city.  Shall  we  ride  from  the  wharf  to  the  hotel  ?  If 
we  do  we  shall  surely  realize  that  we  are  in  Japan,  as  in  no 
other  country  shall  we  find  such  numbers  of  jinrikishas. 

388 


CITY  AND  COUXTRV  LIFE  IX  JAPAX       389 

How  queer  it  seems  to  ride  in  one !  We  feel  at  first  as  ii 
everyone  we  meet  were  laugliing  at  us.  But  as  nearly  every- 
one else  who  is  riding  is  using  the  same  kind  of  conveyance, 
we  soon  become  accustomed  to  it  and  are  ready  to  look  about 
us  and  see  what  we  can  learn  about  this  island  empire. 


JdjjgjjaHHnMHHBMl 

^HyS^  .hT^i^-^.-  r-^<tei-5^*^fe  -.^ 

: '^ 

©  ICeyfitonc  ^'i^.'W  Co. 

Fig.  150.    "We  get  our  First  View  of  Fujiyama 

Do  you  get  the  odor  of  tea  in  the  air?  It  comes  from 
those  great  warehouses  with  the  heavy  iron  shutters.  We 
can  hear  the  linin  of  voices,  ami  llnoiigh  the  opeji  doorways 
we  can  see  scoi'cs  of  jmtn  and  women  at  work  over  the  tea 
leaves.    The  tea  has  been  cured  once  hi  the  villages  from 


390  ASIA 

wliicli  it  came,  but  if  it  were  sent  away  in  tlie  condition  in 
wliich  it  is  brought  to  Yokohama,  it  would  not  keep  well 
during  the  long  ocean  voyage  ;  so  the  merchants  in  the  city 
relire  it,  after  which  it  is  packed  and  sent  to  European  and 
American  ports. 

Could  we  peep  into  those  other ''  go-downs,"  as  the  foreign 
merchants  in  China  and  Japan  call  their  warehouses,  we 
should  see  hundreds  of  bales  of  raw  silk  waiting  to  l)e  stored 
in  vessels  bound  for  Marseille,  New  York,  and  other  cities. 
There  are  also  thousands  of  yards  of  silk  cloth,  which  will 
later  be  shown  in  the  shop  windows  in  dozens  of  European 
cities  or  displayed  on  the  counters  of  stores  scattered 
through  our  own  country.  Immense  quantities  of  silk  are 
shipped  from  Yokohama  all  over  the  world,  but  to  the 
United  States  more  than  anywhere  else,  as  we  are  Japan's 
best  customer,  buying  each  jeav  from  this  one  j^ort  many 
million  dollars'  worth  of  raw  silk  and  silk  goods. 

Let  us  leave  that  part  of  Yokohama  which  is  filled  with 
warehouses,  business  blocks,  offices,  banks,  and  other  modern 
buildmgs  and  go  into  the  real  Japanese  part  of  the  city.  The 
interpreter  at  the  hotel  gives  the  necessary  directions  to  our 
runner,  and  away  we  go.  How  narrow  the  streets  are  and 
how  crowded  with  people  I  Our  "  man-horse  "  shouts  Jiai-Jiai 
at  the  throng  before  him  whenever  the  street  seems  especially 
full,  and  somehow  a  way  opens  for  us  through  the  crowd. 

INIuch  of  the  freight  is  carried  on  the  backs  or  hangs 
from  the  shoulders  of  coolies,  and  there  are  few  teams  larger 
than  the  little  jinrikishas.  Wide  streets,  therefore,  have  not 
been  especially  needed  until  recently,  since  electric  cars  and 
carriages  have  come  into  nse.  Whenever  the  buildings  in 
a  certain  section  are  destroyed  by  fire,  those  which  take 


CITY  AXD  COUXTFvY  LIFE  IX  JAPAX        391 

their  places  are  set  farther  back.  You  thiiik,  perhaps,  that 
it  A\-ill  take  a  long  time  to  \yiden  all  the  city  streets  if 
nothing  is  done  until  a  hre  removes  the  old  buildmgs ; 
but  Japan  is  not  America,  and  fires  are  much  more  fre- 
quent there  than  here.    The  buildings,  you  must  remember, 


Tig.  151.    How  Nakuow   the  Streets  aue  and  how  Chowded 
WITH  People 

are  of  wood,  and  the  older  ones  have  thatched  roofs.  The 
people  use  cheap  lamps  or  candles,  and  their  cooking  is  done 
in  open  boxes,  not  in  tiglit  stoves  like  ours.  Here  is  a  tire 
station  before  us.  It  is  not  a  sul)stantial  l)uildiiig  such  as 
we  have,  but  cousists  oidy  of  a  tall  ladder  with  a  little  box 
at  the  top  in  which  a  man  sits.    Tin;  houses  in  the  city  are 


392 


ASIA 


all  low,  and  from  his  high  perch  the  watchman  can  easily 
see  over  a  wide  area.  Now  he  catches  siglit  of  a  suspicious- 
looking  column  of  smoke  oft'  at  the  right,  which  hi  an  instant 
bursts  into  flame.  Let  us  wait  for  the  alarm  and  see  where 
the  fire  is.  Vlany  !  goes  the  bell ;  then  silence.  That  one 
ring  means  that  the  fire  is  in  a  distant  part  of  the  city.  If 
it  were  nearer  he  would  ring  twice  or  three  times,  and  if 

it  were  close  to  his 
b(jx  the  bell  would 
ring,  Ding,  dong  I 
Ding,  dong!  Ding, 
dong!  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible. Wlien  these 
light  wooden  build- 
ings get  to  burning, 
there  is  not  much 
to  be  done  except 
to  try  to  keep  the 
fire  from  spreading 
farther,  but  with 
the  houses  crowded 
so  close  together 
this  is  not  always 
easy,  and  often  large  areas  are  burned  in  a  short  time. 

Perhaps  you  wonder  why  people  do  not  build  fireproof 
houses  of  brick  or  stone.  The  danger  would  then  be  all 
the  greater,  not  from  fire,  to  be  sure,  but  from  earthquakes. 
Japan  is  in  volcano  land,  and  where  active  volcanoes  are 
situated,  earthquakes  are  sure  to  be  frequent.  Indeed,  in 
parts  of  Japan  slight  shocks  take  place  every  week.  Some 
are  heavy  and  make  the  flimsy  little  one-story  houses  sway 


Fig.  10:^.     iiiL  1'aktitions  ake  unlv  Glid- 
ing Screens,  which  during  the  Day  are 

PUSHED     aside,     thus     MAKING     OnE      LaRGE 

Room  of  Several  Small  Ones 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN 


393 


and  rock,  but  they  seldom  fall,  and  when  they  do,  the  light 
timbers  of  which  they  are  made  do  not  injure  anyone  as 
seriously  as  heavy  brick  or  stone  would.  In  1923  an  earth- 
quake occurred  which,  with  the  awful  fires  which  fol- 
lowed, did  terrible  damage  in  Tokyo  and  nearly  destroyed 
Yokohama.  \"ou  can  find  descriptions  of  this  disaster  in 
magazines  of  that 
year. 

Most  of  the  houses 
are  one  story  high, 
with  no  chimneys 
or  doors  or  windows 
such  as  we  have. 
In  warm  weather 
the  houses  are  open 
from  front  to  back, 
so  that  we  can  see 
the  quamt  little  gar- 
dens in  the  rear. 
Two  of  the  sides  of 
a  Japanese  house 
are  of  plaster  simi- 
lar to  ours,  but  the 
other  two  are  usually  of  sliding  frames  which  move  in 
grooves.  During  the  day  these  frames  are  i)ush('(l  back  out 
of  tlie  way,  leaving  the  house  open  to  the  fresh  air  and  sun- 
shine. It  would  seem  queer,  would  it  not,  to  have  two 
whole  sides  of  your  house  taken  away?  You  would  liiul 
it  very  convenient  to  have  your  house  so  arranged  that  you 
could  have  a  whole  floor  made  into  one  big  room,  or,  if 
you  wished,  divide  it  into  two,  three,  or  even  more  smaller 


©  I'liilerwood  &  I'rulcnvood 

Fig.  1.53.    The  Floors  aki;  covkkkd  with 
Clean  Mats  fitted  close  together 


394 


ASIA 


ones.  That  is  the  way  the  Japanese  do.  Their  partitions  are 
only  sKding  screens,  which  during  the  day  are  pushed  aside, 
thus  making  one  large  room ;  at  night  they  are  put  biick 
into  place  and  several  cozy  bedrooms  are  formed. 

The   floors   too   look   queer  to   us.     They  are   entirely 
covered  with  clean  mats  fitted  close  together.    The  mats 

are  always  the  same 
size,  six  feet  by 
three,  and  if  you 
should  ask  a  Japa- 
nese boy  how  large 
his  room  was,  he 
would  tell  you  that 
it  was  a  two-mat, 
or  a  four-mat,  or 
a  five-mat  room,  as 
the  case  might  be. 

The  people  living 
in  the  house  would 
no  sooner  think  of 
walking  over  these 
clean,  dainty  mats 
ill  their  shoes  than 
you  would  ol  stepping  on  tin'  top  ol  your  piano  or  on  your 
})()lislu'd  oak  or  mahogany  table.  The  shoes  of  the  Japanese 
are  fastened  only  at  the  toes  and  can  easily  be  slipped  on 
and  off,  and  they  are  always  left  outside  the  door.  The  floors 
of  shops  are  often  raised  a  foot  or  more,  so  that  customers 
can  sit  on  the  edge,  with  their  feet  on  the  ground. 

At  first  sight  a  Japanese  room  would  seem  bare  to  our 
Western  eyes.    There  are  no  chairs,  tables,  or  beds ;  the 


Fig.  154.  Jatani^e  School  Chu.oken 
i>i:.\VE  THEIR  Shoes  out  of  Doors 


CITY  A^^D  COUNTflY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN       395 

walls  are  not  hung  with  pictures;  and  there  are  no  mantles 
filled  with  vases,  photographs,  or  other  ornaments.  There 
may  be  one  fine  picture  on  the  wall,  and  beneath  it  a  vase 
containing  one  or  two  lovely  sprays  of  flowers.  The  owner 
of  the  house  may  possess  many  beautiful  ornaments,  but 
only  a  few  are  displayed  at  a  time.  The  rest  are  stored  m 
a  fireproof  building  near  his  home  or,  in  the  case  of  poorer 
families,  in  a  chest  which  can  be  easily  removed  from  the 
house  m  case  of  fire.  Where  do  the  people  eat  and  sleep, 
you  ask.  If  you  were  visiting  at  mealtime  in  a  Japanese 
house,  a  little  table  not  much  larger  than  a  footstool  would 
be  placed  before  you.  Then  a  dainty  little  maiden  would 
put  on  it  pretty  bowls  contaming  rice  and  fish,  and  a  little 
cup  of  fragrant  tea.  Though  you  sit  on  the  floor  and  eat 
with  chopsticks,  yon  must  be  as  polite  as  possible  and  use 
your  best  table  manners  if  you  would  not  be  outdone  by 
your  courteous  host. 

When  bedtime  comes  you  clap  your  hands  to  call  the 
maid.  She  will  push  the  sliding  screens  into  place  to  give 
you  a  room  by  yourself.  Then  she  will  bring  a  very  thick 
quilt,  which  she  spreads  on  the  floor,  some  thinner  ones 
to  cover  you,  and  a  hard,  round  pillow  very  dil^^erent  from 
the  soft  feather  pillow  which  you  use.  After  sleei)ing, 
or  trying  to  sleep,  on  it  all  night,  you  can  imagine  some- 
thing of  how  Rip  Van  AYiiikle  felt  after  sleeping  in  the 
mountains  twenty  years.  But  thougli  y<>nr  neck  may  be 
stiff,  y(jur  liair  is  as  smooth  as  when  you  went  to  ))cd  the 
niglit  Ijefore.  Ifaii-dressing  in  Jaj)an  is  a  work  of  tiin(>  and 
is  doiH!  only  once  a  week,  and  llicn  by  a  liirrd  hairdresser. 
So  you  see  it  woul<l  ne\er  (h>  for  .lapanese  ladies  to  sleep 
on  soft  [)illows  and  disari'ange  their  rolls  and    jtnfl's. 


396 


ASIA 


Only  eighteen  miles  by  rail  from  Yokohama  is  Tokyo, 
the  capital  of  Japan.  Before  the  great  eartlujuake  this  city 
was  nearly  the  size  of  Chicago.  We  shall  enjoy  not  only  the 
visit  to  the  city  itself  but  also  the  ride  from  Yokohama.  We 
go  through  a  lovely  country,  with  the  blue  water  on  one 

side  and  on  the  other 
the  ffreen  hills  risinsf 
into  mountains,  with 
Fujiyama  gleaming 
among  them. 

The  railroad  runs 
nearly  parallel  with 
the  old  highroad, 
over  which  in  former 
days  all  traffic  was 
carried  on.  We  catch 
glimpses  here  and 
there  of  coolies  rest- 
ing in  the  shade  of 
tall  pine  trees,  while 
the  passengers  m  the 
jinrikishas  enjoy  the 
fine  view.  Other 
coolies  are  i^ushing 
handcarts  piled  with 
vegetables,  carrying  buckets  suspended  from  poles  over 
their  shoulders,  or  plodding  along  with  heavy  loads  on 
their  backs.  There  are  miles  of  these  old  roads  extending 
between  the  principal  cities  of  Japan.  They  are  usually 
narrow  and  overarched  by  trees,  the  shade  of  which  must 
be  grateful  to  the  perspiring  coolies. 


] 

•A 

w^^^Kp^^S^-^ 

4 

w^^BS^^Mm 

K    i 

■\ . 

W^miP^^^K^a^E^Bj^em^^^^S^  t.  y- 

1 

^W^HH^^^^^w        '-L'l**  ''''^^^1 

Hi 

'"/? 
•ii^ 

ii 

'%      '   '  t>:'. 

X  \-^^ij/lt 

1 

^m^^g 

m 

r 

V  :,:*^ 

U 

sjCs.^--              "-^ 

Fig.   155.     Cooliks   akp:    tlodding   along 
WITH  Heavy  Loads  on  their  Backs 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN        397 


Every  few  minutes  we  pass  little  thatched  villages  with 
green  rice  fields  lying  behind  them.  The  cultivated  lands 
are  full  of  laborers  —  men,  young  children,  women,  and 
girls,  many  of  whom  have  babies  fastened  on  their  backs. 
The  farms  are  very  small,  and  most  of  the  work  is  done  by 
hand,  for  there  is 
little  room  for  big- 
plows  and  mowing 
machines.  Ever}' 
inch  is  cultivated ; 
even  iu  the  mul- 
berry orchards  rows 
of  vegetables  are 
planted  between  the 
trees,  and  hedges 
of  mulberry  trees 
sometimes  serve  as 
fences.  In  winter 
the  fields  in  south- 
ern Japan  are  green 
M'iih  l)urley  or  mil- 
let. In  the  spring  this  grain  is  reaped,  the  dikes  and  ditches 
are  put  in  order,  and  the  ground  is  flooded  for  the  rice. 
All  summer  this  precious  crop  is  watched  and  weeded  and 
drained  and  flooded  and  fertiliz,ed.  There  is  not  a  spare 
minute  for  the  industrious  farmers  until  the  rice  is  cut 
and  the  sheaves  hung  on  fences  to  dry. 

Autumn  as  well  as  summer  is  a  Ijusy  time.  The  white, 
fluffy  balls  of  the  cotton  plant  must  be  picked  and  the 
brown  millet  tops  dried  and  threshed.  The  rice  must  be 
combed  from  the  stalks  and  packed  in  bags  to  be  carried 


'iD  Keybtune  View  Co. 

Fig.  15G.    The  Dikes  and  Ditches  are  put 

IX  Order  and  the  Ground  is  flooded  for 

THE  Rice 


398  A8TA 

to  the  city  or  put  carefully  a\\ay  iu  the  storehouse  for  the 
use  of  the  fauiily  uutil  the  next  crop  is  harvested. 

The  farmers  iu  Japan  raise  crops  not  only  on  the  land 
but  iu  the  water  as  A\ell.  The  people  eat  a  great  variety 
of  bulbs  and  roots  of  water  plants,  and  from  the  car  win- 
dows we  can  see  lotus  plants  and  lilies  growing  in  ponds, 
ditches,  and  canals. 

The  inhabitants  of  Tokyo  and  Yokoliania  have  no  room 
for  vegetable  gardens,  and  on  the  roads  leading  to  these 
centers  there  is  a  constant  procession  of  farmers  carrying 
their  wares  to  market.  Coolies  with  handcarts,  coolies  with 
baskets  swinging  f  nmi  poles,  and  coolies  with  heavy  burdens 
on  their  backs  are  everywhere.  Should  you  like  to  examine 
the  loads  in  the  carts  and  peep  into  the  deep  baskets?  There 
are  beans  of  all  sizes  and  colors,  cucumbers,  gourds,  eg^g 
plants,  cabbages,  tomatoes,  herbs  for  seasoning,  lotus  roots, 
and  crisp  lily  bulbs.  In  the  evening  it  is  like  a  continuous 
torchlight  procession.  Then  every  jinrikisha  and  handcart 
has  a  bobbing,  swaying  Japanese  lantern,  and  every  person 
carries  one  on  a  pole  in  liis  hand. 

The  ride  from  Yokohama  has  been  so  interesting  that  we 
are  almost  sorry  to  arrive  m  Tokyo.  But  what  a  beautiful 
city  it  is !  There  are  trees  everywhere,  and  on  the  hills 
around  are  lovely  residences  nestlhig  in  the  green  foliage. 
Like  all  Japanese  houses  these  are  not  very  attractive  in 
front,  but  they  open  in  the  rear  into  lovely  gardens  as 
unhke  those  to  which  we  are  accustomed  as  are  the 
houses.  A  garden  may  he  only  a  few  yards  square  or 
even  onlv  a  few  feet,  yet  in  it  you  may  fin<l  a  little  silvery 
brook  with  a  waterfall  and  a  bridge  shaded  by  a  dwarf 
pine  only  a  foot  or  two  high.    On  the  side  of  a  tiny  hill 


CITY  AND  COUXTEY  LIFE  IX  JAPAX 


399 


near  some  rough  stone  steps  springs  a  miniature  cherry  or 
plum  tree  which  leans  over  the  little  brook  and  scatters  its 
pink  petals  into  the  clear  water.  Everything  is  so  natural 
and  so  well  arranged  that  the  garden  appears  much  larger 
than  it  really  is. 

Along  some  of 
the  streets  of  Tokyo, 
especially  near  the 
water  or  in  the  parks, 
rows  of  cherry  trees 
have  been  planted. 
You  are  thmking 
what  a  fine  time 
Japanese  boys  and 
girls  must  have 
when  cherry  time 
comes.  You  will  be 
surprised  when  I 
tell  you  tliat  the 
fruit  is  not  good  to 
eat,  and  that  both 
the  children  and  the 

grown  people  look  forward  not  to  the  time  when  the 
cherries  are  ready  for  picking  but  to  the  blossoming  time. 

Can  you  imagine  all  the  i')eople  of  Chicago  or  Boston  or 
Philadelphia  having  a  great  holiday  Avhen  apple  trees  are 
in  bloom  and  going  in  crowds  out  into  the  country,  or  to 
[ilaces  in  the  city  wliere  the  trees  have  been  planted,  to 
spend  the  day  in  the;  pink  and  wliitr  forest?  That  is  wliat 
the  Japanes(;  do  in  cli('rry-l)lossom  (iiiic  Tlicy  love;  tlie 
dainty  llowers  and  enjoy  them  as  we  never  think  ui.  enjoying 


©II.  C.White  Co. 

Fig.  157.   The  Children  and  Grown  People 

LOOK    FOinVARD    TO    THE    BLOSSOMING   TiME 


400 


ASIA 


our  blossoming  trees.  The  wistaria  vino  and  the  phun 
trees  also  draw  their  crowds  in  springtime,  and  in  the 
autumn  the  gorgeous  chrysanthemum,  the  national  flower, 
has  its  hosts  of  admirers. 

Of  course  you  wish  to  see  the  imperial  palace,  where  the 
emperor  lives.    The  ruler  of  this  strange  little  country  can 


Fig.  158.    The  Wlstaria  Vine  is  Lovely  ix  the  Spkinu 

trace  his  descent  in  the  royal  line  back  for  tliousands  of 
years  —  even  back  to  the  gods,  some  of  his  subjects  think, 
for  many  of  them  believe  that  he  is  something  more  than  a 
common  man.  In  former  years  no  Japanese  ever  dreamed 
of  seeing  the  emperor.  If  he  passed  in  a  royal  procession 
through  the  streets,  all  houses  were  closed  and  all  the  in- 
habitants kept  out  of  sight.    ]Many  of  the  old  customs  are 


CITY  AXD  COUXTIiY  LIFE  IX  JAPAN       401 

passing  away,  however,  and  to-day  he  is  often  greeted  by 
cheers  as  our  President  is.  The  emperors  palace  is  a  curi- 
ous combination  of  Eastern  architecture  and  Western  com- 
fort. It  is  Japanese  in  appearance,  but  it  is  heated  by  steam, 
Hghted  by  electricity,  and  furnished,  in  part  at  least,  with 
European  furniture. 

Let  us  take  a  drive  through  the  city.  Though  we  ride 
for  a  long  time,  we  can  see  but  a  small  part  of  it,  for  Tokyo 
covers  a  hundred  square  miles.  The  crowds,  the  narrow 
streets,  the  shouts  of  the  jinrikisha  runners,  are  much  as 
they  were  in  Yokohama  and  do  not  now  disturb  us.  There 
are  many  large,  modern  buildings  and  fine  shops  with  foreign 
goods  displayed  in  the  windows.  We  would  rather  visit  some 
of  the  smaller  stores  on  the  side  streets,  where  Japanese 
goods  such  as  the  people  use  are  sold.  There  are  many 
streets  where  the  front  room  of  every  house  is  a  tiny  shop 
and  the  family  live  in  the  room  behind.  There  are  other 
streets  where  there  are  no  shops  at  all,  but  just  rows  of 
little  houses  close  together  and  showing,  when  the  sliding 
screens  are  drawn  together,  plain  dark  walls.  If  we  could 
look  down  on  the  city,  we  should  see,  stretching  for  miles, 
a  sea  of  gray  roofs  with  liere  and  there  the  darker  roofs 
and  towers  of  temples  rising  above  them.  None  of  the 
houses  in  Tok3'o  are  painted,  and  the  dailc  slate  color  of  the 
weatherworn  wood  gives  a  dull,  somber  effect  to  the  city. 

Some  of  these  streets  are  prettier  in  the  evening  than  in 
the  daytime.  Lanterns  of  every  shape  and  color  are  hang- 
ing in  the  stores  and  are  carried  by  many  of  tlie  people. 
The  streets  which  are  lighted  by  kerosene  lamps  seem 
ugly  by  comparison,  and  those  where  electricity  is  used, 
though  brighter,  aie  not  so  picturesque. 


402 


ASIA 


How  interesting  the  sights  are !  In  the  httle  open  shops 
we  can  see  nnibrella-nKMiders,  rice-pounders,  lantern-makers, 
and  shoemakers  sitting  on  the  floor  at  their  work.  Many 
things  are  sold  in  the  streets.  There  comes  a  flower-seller 
with  boxes  gay  with  blossoms  hanging  from  either  end  of  a 
bamboo  pole.    Here  is  a  vegetable  peddler  crying  his  wares 


EiG.  159.    In  the  Little  Ofen  Shops  wa  can  see  Lantekn- 
Makers  sitting  on  the  Floor  at  their  Work 


of  roots  and  greens.  In  our  rambles  we  meet  the  fish-dealer 
and  the  bean-curd  man.  Beans  are  raised  in  great  quantities 
in  Japan  and  are  eaten  in  every  form  one  can  think  of.  Bean 
oil  is  used  in  cooking,  in  manufacturing  soap,  and  as  a 
lubricator.  The  substance  left  after  the  oil  is  extracted  is 
pressed,  into  cakes  and  used  as  a  fertilizer  and  a  cattle  food. 
Every  farmer  in  Japan  raises  beans,  but  so  great  is  the 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN       403 

demand  that  large  quantities  of  beans,  bean  cake,  and  bean 
oil  are  imported  annually  from  ^Manchuria. 

Let  us  visit  some  of  the  workshops  in  Tokyo.  Here  is 
one  where  the  man  is  working  on  some  of  the  beautiful 
lacquered  ware  for  which  Japdn  is  famous.  You  have 
seen,  have  you  not,  Japanese  trays  and  boxes  of  shining 
black  decorated  with  gilt  flowers  and  birds  ?  The  varnish 
which  gives  such  a  fine  luster  is  made  from  the  sap  of  the 
lacquer  tree.  This  tree  grows  in  the  interior  of  Japan  and 
is  tapped  in  somewhat  the  same  way  as  the  sugar  maple 
is  in  the  United  States. 

The  lacquer  finishers  are  expert  workmen.  The  one 
whom  we  are  watching  uses  hard  wood  of  the  finest 
grain.  After  applying  a  coat  of  varnish,  he  dries  it 
thoroughly  for  several  days.  Then  he  spends  a  long  time 
in  rubbing  it  down  until  the  wood  is  as  smooth  as  satin. 
He  applies  another  coat  of  iaccpier  and  leaves  it  to  dry 
while  he  rubs  down  and  varnishes  other  articles  on  which 
he  is  working.  He  often  goes  over  his  best  pieces  twenty 
or  thirty  times  m  this  v/ay.  The  work  takes  so  much  time 
that  the  really  nice  lacquered  ware  is  very  expensive. 
Most  of  the  finest  work  is  done  in  Tokyo  and  Kyoto,  and 
although  there  are  many  \\orkmen  in  those  cities,  who  take 
.such  pride  in  their  work  that  they  will  do  no  pieces  except 
in  the  old,  slow  way,  with  many  coats  and  much  polishing, 
there  are  also  many  others  who  supply  the  cheaper  articles 
which  are  in  great  demand. 

Lacquer  varnish,  when  properly  applied,  will  last  many 
years,  even  when  the  dislies  covered  with  it  are  put  to  the 
hard(!st  use.  The  litth;  bowls  in  which  the  Japanese  serve 
their  hot  soup  are  lacquered;    with  such  use  the  kind  of 


404  ASIA 

varnish  used  in  our  country  would  soon  be  worn  off,  but 
the  heat  does  not  affect  the  lacquer  for  a  long  time. 

Let  us  take  a  short  trip  into  the  country  around  Tokyo. 
Mulberry  trees  are  everywhere,  and  in  nearly  every  house 
we  should  find  some  silkworms.  Kice  fields  fill  the  val- 
leys, and  tea  shrubs  cover  the  hillsides.  Gardens  of  all 
kinds  of  vegetables  and  liclds  of  whrat,  barley,  millet,  and 
rape  occupy  every  foot  of  ground. 

Did  you  know  that  Japan  is  one  of  the  most  important 
fishing  countries  of  the  world  ?  Nearly  two  million  Japanese 
are  engaged  in  lisliiug,  some  spending  their  entire  time  in 
the  occupation,  others  carrying  it  on  for  a  part  of  the  year 
only  and  working  on  their  farms  for  the  remainder  of 
the  time.  Great  quantities  of  herring,  cod,  mackerel,  and 
sardines  are  caught  near  the  coasts  or  in  the  deep  ocean 
waters,  and  every  river,  pond,  and  canal  yields  its  harvest 
to  the  industrious  Japanese.  Oysters,  clams,  salmon, 
slu-imps,  lobsters,  turtles,  and  eels  are  caught  in  great 
numbers  and  used  for  food.  Immense  quantities  of  sea- 
weed are  gathered  in  the  spring  and  dried  ;  several  varieties 
are  eaten,  and  some  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  glue 
and  some  for  fertilizers. 

Should  you  like  to  visit  a  turtle  farm  ?  There  are  many 
in  Japan,  for  the  flesh  of  certain  kinds  is  considered  a  great 
delicacy.  One  of  the  most  noted  turtle  farms,  where  thou- 
sands are  raised  each  year,  is  situated  near  Tokyo.  As 
turtles  live  much  of  the  time  in  the  water,  of  course  there 
must  be  several  ponds  on  the  farm.  These  are  connected 
with  canals  in  such  a  way  that  the  water  may  be  drained 
off  and  let  on  at  will.  Some  of  the  ponds  are  for  full- 
grown  turtles,  some  for  little  ones  just  hatched,  and  some 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  LIFE  IX  JAPAX       405 

for  those  half-grown.   If  all  were  kept  together,  the  old  ones 
would  eat  the  little  ones  and  few  could  be  raised. 

The  ponds  are  surrounded  by  planks  to  prevent  the 
turtles  from  escaping,  and  the  mud  banks  are  kept  soft, 
so  that  the  female  may  easily  dig  the  hole  in  which  to  lay 
her  eggs.  When  the  young  turtles  make  their  appearance, 
they  are  put  into  ponds  by  themselves  and  fed  on  finely 
chopped  meat.  A  turtle  farm,  if  well  conducted,  is  very 
profitable,  and  the  owner  of  the  one  which  we  are  visiting 
tells  us  that  he  sends  to  market  each  year  more  than  fifty 
thousand. 

Have  you  ever  owned  any  goldfish  ?  In  Japan  we  see 
them  everywhere  —  in  the  parks  and  gardens  and  in  the 
stores  for  sale.  They  have  been  raised  here  for  centuries, 
and  in  all  parts  of  Japan  we  shall  find  people  engaged  in 
breedmg  them.  In  some  towns  near  Tokyo,  and  farther 
south  near  the  great  manufacturing  city  of  Osaka,  we 
shall  see  goldfish  ponds  on  nearly  every  farm. 

You  would  probably  not  recognize  young  goldfisli,  for 
they  are  dark  m  color  and  spotted  with  black.  The  breeder 
must  know  his  work  thoroughly  and  be  very  careful  in 
regard  to  the  food,  Avater,  and  temperature,  in  order  that 
the  tiny  creatures  may  early  and  successfully  change  tlioir 
dark  coats  for  the  bright  ones  which  make  them  so  ijopiihu'. 

The  car))  is  another  fisli  whicli,  tboiigli  not  so  fiimiliar  to 
us,  is  raised  in  great  numbers  in  .lapan,  and  hmidi'cds  of 
acres  are  devoted  to  this  industry.  Certain  varieties  witli 
bright  colors  are  raised  for  ornament  and  an;  found  witii 
goldfish  in  the  ponds  of  parks,  gardens,  and  temples.  ( )thers 
are  raised  for  food,  as  carp  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
focKl  fishes  in  Japan, 


406  ASIA 

As  we  cross  Japan  toward  Kyoto,  the  old  capital,  we 
find  ourselves  in  the  center  of  the  tea  district,  where  the 
industry  is  more  important  than  in  other  parts  of  the 
country,  though  the  shrub  is  grown  nearly  everywhere. 
Over  the  hillsides  are  scattered  hundreds  of  men,  women, 
and  children  who  work  all  day  picking  the  young,  tender 
leaves.    Centuries  ago,  ^^•hen  tea  was  first  raised  in  Japan, 


Fig.  160.    They  work  All  Day  picking  the  Tender  Leaves 

the  leaves  and  tender  twigs  were  picked,  ground  into  a 
powder,  and  steeped  in  water.  In  Japanese  museums  we 
can  still  see  the  old  grinding  stones  which  were  used  to 
prepare  the  powder.  The  drinking  of  tea  was  at  first  con- 
fined to  the  priests  and  nobles,  and  as  the  years  passed  by 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  ceremony  connected  with  its  use, 
and  rules  were  made  for  its  brewing  and  serving.  Every 
dish  must  be  handled  in  a  certain  way  and  placed  in  just 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN       407 

the  right  position  before  the  guest,  while  each  bow  and 
each  movement  of  the  body  must  be  performed  exactly 
according  to  directions.  The  ceretoony  finally  became  so 
long  and  so  difficult  that  people  fitted  themselves  to  teach 
it  to  those  who  wished  to  give  the  time  to  learn  it.  In 
order  that  their  guests  might  be  served  in  the  correct  way, 
many  of  the  higher  classes  kept  in  their  service,  on  a  regu- 
lar salary,  a  master  of  the  ceremony. 

A  world's  fair  was  held  in  Chicago  in  1893,  and  all 
civilized  nations  sent  exhibits  of  their  products  and  indus- 
tries. The  Japanese  prepared  an  especially  fine  display  of 
the  tea  industry,  which  so  impressed  people  who  saw  it 
that  the  tea  trade  between  Japan  and  America  was  greatly 
increased.  We  import  enough  tea  each  year  to  give  every 
person  in  the  United  States  nearly  a  pound  apiece.  Of 
this  tremendous  quantity  more  than  half  comes  from  the 
little  Japanese  empire,  and  the  rest  from  China,  the  East 
Indies,  India,  and  Ceylon. 

As  we  are  so  near  Kyoto,  we  must  take  a  peep  at  this 
old  capital  of  Japan.  Some  one  has  said  tliat  Yokohama  is 
the  eye  of  Japan,  Tokyo  the  brain,  and  Kyoto  the  heart. 
Tokyo  represents  the  modern  country,  with  its  ideas  of 
progress  and  its  ambitions,  and  Kyoto  the  ancient  Japan, 
with  its  temples  and  shrines  and  palaces.  It  is  a  curious 
combination  of  old  and  new.  Half  of  the  city  is  filled  with 
the  relics  of  its  old  life,  —  the  temples,  castles,  and  other 
ancient  buildino'S,  —  wliile  in  the  otlier  half  you  are  sur- 
rounded  })y  workers  of  the  modern  iiidiistiial  iiatinn. 
Kyoto  is  noted  for  its  manufacture  of  fans,  dolls,  toys, 
vases,  porcelain  and  chinaware,  and  end)r()idt'ry ;  in  one 
year  more  than  a  million  pieces  of  lac({uered  ware  were 


408 


ASIA 


sent  out  of  the  city.  In  the  Uttle  open  shops  we  can  see 
workmen  engaged  in  making  many  of  these  articles.  In 
Kyoto,  as  in  other  Jajiftinese  cities,  workmen  hired  by  a 


'Lnderwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  161.    You  are  surrounded  by  Workers  of  the  Modern 
Industrial  Nation 

manufacturer  are  not  always  gathered  in  a  great  factory,  but 

work  by  themselves  or  in  small  groups  in  their  little  houses. 

Kyoto  is  a  great  center  for  silk  manufacture,  and  we 

should  find  thousands  of  the  people   spinning,   weaving, 


CITY  A^D  COUNTKY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN       409 

and  embroidering  the  tine  fabrics  for  which  tlie  city  is 
famous.  Shimmering  silks,  gold-wrought  brocades,  figured 
damasks,  and  crepes  and  velvets  embroidered  with  beautiful 
designs  are  made  in  great  quantities  in  the  ancient  capital. 

Before  we  leave  Japan  we  must  visit  Osaka.  When  I 
tell  you  that  it  is  called  the  Manchester  of  the  East,  you 
will  know  what  to  expect  in  regard  to  its  industries. 
Though  Tokyo  is  the  largest  city,  Osaka  surpasses  it  in 
its  manufactures.  It  is  situated  on  a  broad  plain  in  the 
southern  part  of  Honshu,  and,  because  of  its  numerous 
rivers,  canals,  and  bridges,  might  be  likened  to  Amsterdam 
or  Venice.  The  waterways  are  full  of  barges  and  boats  of 
all  kinds  taking  raw  material  to  the  mills  and  factories, 
carrying  away  the  finished  products,  and  Ijringing  pro- 
visions to  the  people.  Buyers  and  sellers,  packers  and 
carters,  clerks  and  designers,  crowd  the  warehouses,  shops, 
and  streets.  On  one  street  everyone  is  at  work  on  um- 
brellas and  fans,  another  is  devoted  to  porcelain  and  pot- 
tery, and  a  third  to  bronze  and  metal  work.  The  low,  red 
brick  mills  and  factories  are  as  numerous,  if  not  as  large,  as 
those  in  Manchester,  England,  and  tlie  forests  of  chimneys 
are  topped  witli  clouds  of  black  smoke. 

Which  shall  we  visit,  a  spinning-mill,  woaving-inill, 
paper-mill,  flour-mill,  ri('e-niill,  iron  and  steel  works, 
leather  factory,  electrical  works,  copper  refinery,  match 
factory,  or  soap  factory  ?  In  Osaka  we  shall  see  all  these 
and  many  other  mills  and  factories ;  those  where  cotton 
yams  and  cotton  cloth  are  made  are  the  most  numerous, 
and  the  sugar  refineries  are  next  in  im}»<)rtance.  The  city 
is  a  strange  mixture  of  East  and  West,  of  ancient  and 
modern.    You  can  see  coolies  pounding  rice  with  long  poles, 


410  ASIA 

and  next  door,  perhaps,  you  may  find  garment  workers 
running  American  sewing  machines.  You  may  watch  the 
movements  of  an  old-fashioned  spinning-wheel  and  near 
at  hand  hear  the  clatter  of  a  modern  loom.  If  Osaka 
were  favorably  situated  for  ocean  commerce,  it  would  un- 
doubtedly become  the  most  important  of  Japanese  cities. 
Unfortunately  this  is  not  the  case,  and  a  great  deal  of  her 
foreign  commerce  is  carried  on  through  the  city  of  Kobe. 
Since  the  great  earthquake  and  the  destruction  of  Yokohama 
some  of  the  commerce  formerly  carried  on  through  that 
city  has  been  transferred  to  Kobe.  Much  of  our  trade 
with  Japan  is  carried  on  with  Kobe.  Most  of  the  tea 
which  comes  to  the  United  States  is  shipped  from  there, 
and  in  the  holds  of  the  vessels  wdiich  sail  from  our  Western 
cities  to  this  Japanese  port  you  will  find  thousands  of  bales 
of  raw  cotton  and  an  immense  assortment  of  iron  and  steel 
articles  —  nails  and  rails,  pipes  and  tubes,  wire  and  sheet 
iron,  and  machinery  of  all  kinds,  for  drilling  and  bormg,  for 
paper-making,  for  electrical  purposes,  for  mining,  and  for 
many  kinds  of  manufacturing.  There  is  oil  to  be  used 
instead  of  the  pretty  Japanese  lanterns,  there  are  sewing 
machines  to  take  the  place  of  the  handwork,  and  electric  cars 
to  supplant  the  jinrikisha.  There  are  cans  of  condensed 
milk,  leather  goods,  barrels  of  flour,  and  railway  engines. 

In  the  future  we  must  think  of  Japan,  not  as  a  little 
island  kmgdom  occupying  less  than  one  hundredth  of  the 
area  of  Asia,  but  as  an  important,  progressive  industrial 
nation  which  is  fast  building  up  an  immense  trade  with  the 
densely  populated  countries  of  China,  India,  and  other  parts 
of  the  East,  and  with  which  the  United  States  itself  may 
sometune  have  to  compete  in  the  trade  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  JAPAN        411 
TOPICS  FOR  STUDY 


1.  The  opening  of  Japan. 

2.  Descrijjtion  of  Yokohama. 

3.  Volcanoes  and  earthquakes. 

4.  Japanese  homes  and  home  life. 

5.  From  Yokohama  to  Tokyo. 

6.  Farming  in  Japan. 

7.  Gardens  and  cherry  blossoms. 

8.  Lacquer  trees  and  lacquered  ware. 

9.  The  fishing  industry. 

10.  Kyoto  and  old  Japan. 

11.  The  manufacturing  city  of  Osaka  and  the  port  of  Kobe. 

II 

1.  See  if  you  can  find  any  information  about  Commodore  Perry's 
visit  to  Japan. 

2.  Where  are  there  any  volcanic  areas  in  North  America  ?  How 
does  the  position  of  this  region  correspond  with  the  volcanic  area 
of  Asia? 

3.  Conq>are  the  height  of  Fujiyama  witli  tliat  ot  soiiif  mountain 
in  the  United  States. 

4.  What  was  said  of  millet  in  Clniiiter  ill'.''    in  Chapter  VII? 

5.  See  if-  you  can  find  the  area  of  the  city  of  London ;  of  New 
York  City.    Compare  these  with  the  area  of  Tokyo. 

6.  What  is  said  in  Chapter  VII  about  the  bean  product  of 
Mancliuria? 

7.  ]Make  a  list  of  five  imjiortaut  cities  of  .lapaii.  Ojijiosilr  cacli 
one  write  the  name  of  a  city  in  Europe  or  Auu^rica  of  about  the 
same  size.  In  a  third  column  write  the  names  of  some  in  the  same 
latitudes. 

8.  Name  the  most  important  fisliiug  countries  of  the  world. 

9.  In  making  a  trip  to  Japan  from  the  I  nited  States,  at  what 
islands  in  the;  Pacific  Ocean  miglit  your  vessel  call?  To  whom  do 
the.se  islaud.s  belong  ?    For  what  are  they  noted  ? 


412  ASIA 


Be  able  to  spell  and  prouounce  the  following  names.  Locate 
each  place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous 
chapter. 

Tokyo  Bay  Yokohama 

India  Kyoto 

China  Kobe 

United  States  Manchester 

Manchuria  "Venice 

California  Amsterdam 

Honshu  Marseille 

Fujiyama  Chicago 

Tokyo  Kew  York  City 
Osaka 


CHAPTER  XIX 

STLKWOR.MS  AM)  SJI.K   MANUFACTURES 

When  we  talk  about  silk,  we  ave  speaking  of  a  very  old 
product,  for  it  was  known  and  used  many  hundred  years 
ago.  Three  thousand  years  before  Christ  the  industry  was 
carried  on  in  China,  and  the  empress  who  is  said  to  have 
discovered  the  wonderful  power  of  the  silkworm  and  the 
value  of  the  tlu'ead  whiili  it  spiui  is  to-day  worsjiiped  by 
the  Chinese  as  the  (ioddess  of  Silkworms. 

Silk  was  one  of  the  articles  which  were  carried  in  eai'ly 
days  by  overland  routes  to  Europe  from  the  East,  and  it 
was  to  get  to  the  lands  whicli  fnriiishc(l  this  and  other  valu- 
able products  that  Columbus  and  Vasco  da  (iama  uikUm- 
took  their  long  voyages  across  unknown  waters. 

So  far  as  we  know,  the  Chinese  were  the  first  people  to 
make  use  of  silk  fiber  by  weaving  it  into  cloth.  Eor  centu- 
ries they  jealously  guarded  the  secret  of  its  production, 
and  it  was  considered  a  crime  punishable  by  death  to  carry 
any  of  the  silkworm  eggs  out  of  the  country.  In  the  year 
850  A.D.  two  Persian  monks,  leaving  China  for  Constanti- 
nople, managed  to  take  some  eggs  with  them  without  los- 
ing their  heads  for  doing  so.  Each  of  them  carried  a  long 
staff  made  of  bamb(jo,  wliidi,  as  ynu  know,  has  ;i  hollow 
stem.  This  ma<le  a  fine  hiding  place  in  which  the  eggs 
were  safely  taken  f)n  their  long  journey.  The  monks 
watched  them  hatch  into  caterpillars  and  saw  these  spin 


414 


ASIA 


their  silken  cocoons,  from  wliich  the  creamy  moths  crept 
out.  From  the  eggs  which  they  laid  more  caterpillars  were 
hatched,  and  so  the  industry  grew  and  finally  spread 
throughout  southern  Europe. 

Less  than  two  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ  a 
Chinese  prince  came  to  Japan,  bruiging  some  silkworm  eggs 
with  him.    He  became  naturalized  as  a  citizen  of  Japan  and 

tlu-rcupon  settled 
down  and  interested 
hinis(^U"  in  raising 
silkworms.  The  in- 
dustry spread ;  tlie 
emperor  and  em- 
press, seeing  that  it 
was  well  adapted  to 
the  [)cople  and  the 
country,  took  every 
means  of  encourag- 
ing it,  for,  as  one 
said,  "If  we  do  not 
})ursue  agriculture, 
Avhat  shall  we  eat? 
If  we  do  not  pluck 
the  nuilburry  leaves  to  feed  the  silkworms,  what  shall  we 
wear  ?  "  What  would  this  same  old  emperor  say  if  he 
could  revisit  his  empire  to-day  and  see  the  thousands  of 
acres  of  mulbi-ny  trees,  the  billions  of  silkworms,  and  the 
scores  of  warehouses  stored  wdth  bales  upon  bales  of  the 
shining,  lustrous  fiber? 

China,  Japan,  Italy,  France,  and  western  and  central 
Asia  are  the  greatest  silk -producing  regions  in  the  world. 


©II.  ('.  Wliitc  Co. 

Fig.  162.   There  are  Billion.*  of 
Silkworms  in  Japan 


©  Undcrworxl  &  IMidiTwood 

Fk;.  Ut3.    do  AM)  (IT  SoMK   M I  r.iii; i{ Et V  Lkavks  fou  tiiio  Su.kwoiims 


•n; 


416  ASIA 

The  climate  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  is  well 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  nnilberry  trees  and  the  rearing  of 
silkworms,  but  we  are  not  and  probably  never  will  be  a 
great  silk-producing  country.  After  the  silkworm  has  spun 
its  cofioon,  the  fiber  of  which  it  is  made  has  to  be  reeled  off 
in  a  long  thread.  In  China,  Japan,  and  Italy  this  work  is 
usually  done  by  women  and  children,  who  are  paid  less  for 
a  montirs  labor  than  they  would  receive  in  this  country  in 
a  week.  With  living  expenses  as  high  as  they  are  in  the 
Ignited  States,  you  see  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  peo- 
j)le  to  work  for  such  wages,  and  we  can  buy  silk  for  our 
manufactories  nuicli  cheaper  than  we  can  produce  it. 

]f  you  were  a  Japanese  boy  or  girl,  your  mother  or  father 
would  probably  say  to  3-ou  several  times  a  day,  "  Now  go 
and  cut  the  mulberry  leaves  for  the  silkworms."  When  the 
little  creatures  are  first  hatched,  they  are  very  tiny,  scarcely 
an  eighth  of  an  inch  long.  At  this  time  they  must  be  fed 
A\ith  young,  tender  mulberry  leaves  chopped  very  fine. 
They  are  greedy  little  things  and  need  fresh  leaves  four 
or  five  times  a  day.  Three  times  during  their  growth  they 
stop  eating,  take  a  long  sleep,  and  change  their  skin,  but 
they  make  up  afterwards  for  these  rest  periods  by  eating 
more  than  ever,  until,  at  the  end  of  a  month,  they  are  about 
three  inches  long.  Now  they  stop  eating  for  good  and  be- 
gin to  spin  tlieir  ct)co()ns,  which  they  fasten  onto  wisps  of 
straw  M'ith  which  they  have  been  su[)[)lied. 

The  spinning  is  a  curious  process.  Let  us  watch  one  of 
the  worms  for  a  while  and  see  how  it  works.  It  moves  its 
head  slowly  from  side  to  side  and  spins  from  its  mouth  a 
long,  fine,  sticky  fiber,  which  catches  on  the  straw  and  soon 
surrounds  the  spinner.    In  a  few  hours  it  is  nearly  hidden, 


SILKWOEMS  AND  SILK  MANUFACTURES    417 


and  in  about  tliree  days  the  cocoon  is  tinished  and  the 
worm,  now  shrunken  in  length  to  about  an  inel),  is  securely 
fastened  inside. 

In  its  silken  prison  the  worm  slu'inks  and  hardens  into 
a  brown  chrysalis.  In  a  few  days  this  changes  hito  a  pretty, 
cream-white  moth,  which  loosens  and  l)reaks  the  threads  at 
one  end  of  the  cocoon  and  conies  out  into  the  light  and 
air.  The  moths  are 
very  feeble  creatures 
which  lay  their  eggs 
and  die  in  a  short 
time.  Only  those 
people  who  are  en- 
gaged in  the  pro- 
duction of  silkworm 
eggs  allow  the  moths 
to  come  out  of  the 
cocoons.  Those  who 
are  to  sell  their 
cocoons  for  the  fiber 
of  which  they  are 
made  have  to  stifle 
the  moths  inside,  so  that  the  tliread  may  not  be  broken. 

AVe  can  visit  plenty  of  factories  in  Tokyo,  Osaka,  Kyoto, 
and  other  cities  of  Japan,  where  silk  is  ])eing  reeU-d,  spun, 
and  woven  into  cloth.  We  shall  enjoy  better  a  visit  into 
the  hilly  regions  in  the  center  of  the  silk-producing  area. 
Here  is  an  attractive  village  nestling  at  the  foot  of  some 
green  hills,  (h)\vn  one  of  whicii  a  dasliing  strciuii  of  <lcar 
water  is  rushing  toward  the  filature,  as  a  silk-i'ccling  estab- 
lishment is  called.    Here  the  little  river  is  liarnessed  and 


Fig.  104.  Lkt  us  stop  at  This  House  where 
THE  LrrTLE  ciiiui)  IS  WATciiiNCi   us 


418 


ASIA 


made  to  help  the  women  and  girls  of  the  village  who  work 
there.  Japan  is  a  hilly  country,  and  the  peo])le  have  begun 
to  appreciate  the  benelits  of  the  water  power  which  the 
streams  furnish  iii  such  abundance. 

The  hillsides  all  around  are  covered  with  tea  shrubs,  and 
the  valleys  are  gi-een   with  the  velvet  carpet  of  the  rice 

plant.  AVe  can  see 
large  oi'chards  of  mul- 
berry trees,  and  nuil- 
berry  hedges  serve  as 
fences  to  separate  the 
fu'lds.  Every  family 
in  the  village  raises 
silkworms,  and  every 
person  is  connected  in 
some  way  with  the 
industry.  Let  us  stop 
at  this  house  where 
a  dainty  little  maiden 
is  watching  us  from 
between  the  sliding 
screens.  In  some  of 
the  homes  in  the  vil- 
lage the  whole  second  floor  is  devoted  to  the  silkworms ; 
in  others  one  room  only  is  used,  but  it  is  always  sure  to 
be  a  light,  sunny  one. 

The  caterpillars  which  we  see  in  the  nursery  are  about 
half-grown  and  seem  lively  and  hearty.  The  farmer  keeps 
them  on  shallow  trays  arranged  one  above  the  other.  One 
of  the  children  has  taken  down  a  tray  to  clean  it,  and 
we  will  watch  to  see  how  he  does  it  without  disturbing 


Fig.  165.  The  Farmer  keeps  the  Worms 
ON     Shallow     Trays     arranged     One 

ABOVE   THE    OtHER 


SILKWORMS  AND  SILK  MANUFACTURES    419 

the  worms.  He  spreads  a  net  over  the  tray  and  sprinkles 
some  freshly  picked  mulberry  leaves  on  it.  The  worms  are 
hungry,  and  when  they  climb  up  on  the  netting  to  get  at 
the  leaves,  they  are  carefully  lifted,  netting  and  all,  onto 
a  clean  tray. 

Besides    the    farmer,    only    the    grandmother    and    the 
younger  children  are  at  home,  as  the  wife  and  the  older 


Fig.  166.    Most  ok  the  Women  and  Gikls  of  the  Villages  work 
IN  THE  Filature 


girls  are  working  in  the  fdature.  Tlie  grandmother  is  seated 
before  a  hand  reel,  and  as  she  works  she  tells  us  stories  of 
the  industry  before  there  were  any  fdatures  near  the  streams 
in  the  valleys  or  any  factories  in  the  great  cities.  Then 
each  family  raised  caterpillars  from  eggs  which  they  luid 
saved,  reeled  off  the  delicati;  filu-r,  spun  the  glossy  thread, 
and  wove  the  soft  fabric  in  the  home  as  some  still  d(j  to-day. 


420 


ASIA 


We  are  interested  in  her  tales  of  the  older  days,  but  more 
so  in  watching  her  work.  Some  eoeoons  are  soaking  hi  a 
dish  of  warm  water  before  her,  and  as  she  talks  she  deftly 
loosens  from  several  of  them  the  ends  of  the  long  fiber  of 
which  they  are  made,  and  with  her  hand  reel  winds  off  the 
threads,  as  fine  as  those  of  a  spider's  web,  without  once 


Fig.  1G7.    You  aue  woni)i:i;in<;  wii  vi   is  hone  with  the  Millions  of 
Pounds  of  Kaw  Silk  which  is  brought  from  Japan 


breaking  them.  In  the  filatures  hundreds  of  younger  women 
with  their  power-driven  reels  are  doing  tlie  same  thing  more 
quickly  and  smoothly.  To  make  the  thread  as  it  comes  to 
us  in  the  skeins  of  raw  silk  the  fibers  from  half  a  dozen  or 
more  cocoons  are  reeled  off  in  one  thread.  In  a  pound  of 
raw  silk  of  the  finest  quality  there  is  thread  enough  to  stretch 
across  the  state  of  New  York  fi'om  Buffalo  to  Albany. 


SILKWORMS  AXD  SILK  MAXUFAL'TUKES    421 


Perhaps  you  are  wondering  what  is  done  with  all  the 
milHons  of  pounds  of  raw  silk  which  are  brought  across 
the  ocean  every  year  from  Japan,  from  China,  and  from 
Italy  to  the  United  States.  From  it  we  manufacture  a 
greater  amount  of  silk  goods  than  any  other  country  in 
the  world.  ]\Iost  of  this 
work  is  carried  on  in 
the  Kew  England  States 
and  in  Xew  York, 
Pennsylvania,  and  New 
Jersey.  Paterson,  New 
Jersey,  is  the  most 
important  silk-manufac- 
turing city  in  the  United 
States,  and  Lyon,  France, 
ranks  first  in  the  world 
in  the  manufacture  of 
goods  from  this  queen 
of  fibers. 

During  recent  years 
Japan  has  increased  very  rapidly  both  her  output  of  raw 
silk  and  the  amount  of  silk  goods  manufactured  in  the  em- 
pire. The  government  has  established  experiment  stations, 
training  schools,  and  egg  hatcheries,  and  is  encouraging  in 
every  way  this  industry  to  which  the  climate  of  the  country 
and  the  skill  of  the  people  seem  so  well  ada[)led.  Who 
knows  but  in  the  future  the  greatest  silk-manufacturing 
centers  may  he  found,  as  the  finest  silk-i)roducing  region  is 
to-day,  in  this  far-eastern  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun  ? 


'  Keystone  View  Co. 

Fi<;.    1(38.     AViio    KNOWS    blt  that   in 
THE  Future  the  Greatest  Silk-Manu- 
facturing Centers  may  be  found  in 
the  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun 


422  ASIA 

TOPICS   FOR   STUDY 
I 

1.  History  of  the  silk  industry  in  Cliiua. 

2.  History  of  the  silk  industry  in  Japan. 

3.  Tlie  great  silk-j^roducing  regions  of  the  world. 

4.  Tlie  United  States  as  a  silk-producing  country. 

5.  Life  history  and  care  of  silkworms. 

6.  A  visit  to  the  silkworm  region  of  Japan. 

7.  Hand  reeling  and  power  reeling. 

8.  Silk  manufacturing  in  the  United  States  and  France. 

9.  The  future  of  the  silk  industry. 

II 

1.  Describe  the  route  of  Columbus  from  his  starting  place  to  the 
land  of  his  first  discovery. 

2.  Describe  the  route  of  Vasco  da  Gama. 

3.  For  what  were  these  men  searching?  Why  did  they  go  in 
opposite  directions  ? 

4.  Name  some  of  the  silk-jiroducing  countries  of  western  ana 
central  Asia. 

5.  Name  the  waters  on  which  a  vessel  would  sail  in  bringing 
raw  silk  to  New  York  from  China;  from  Italy;  from  Japan.  Name 
the  shipping  port  in  each  country. 

6.  Name  some  occupations  which  you  think  will  be  important  in 
the  future  development  of  Japan.    Give  the  reasons  for  your  choice. 


Be  able  to  spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  this  and  in  any  previous  chapter. 

China  Constantinople 

Persia  Tokyo 

Japan  Kyoto 

India  Osaka 

Italy  Buffalo 

France  Albany 

New  England  Patersoa 
New  Jersej 


CHAPTER  XX 

FORMOSA   AXD  KOREA 

The  area  of  the  Japanese  empire  has  been  considerably 
mcreased  by  the  addition  in  recent  years  of  Formosa  and 
Korea.  Formosa  is  more  than  one  and  a  half  times  the  size 
of  Massachusetts,  while  more  than  ten  such  states  could  be 
carved  out  of  Korea.  As  these  lands  are  thinly  peopled, 
they  will  afford  room  for  Japanese  immigrants,  whose 
products,  as  the  countries  develop,  will  greatly  increase 
Japanese  commerce. 

When,  in  1895,  Japan  received  Formosa  from  the  hands 
of  the  Chinese,  it  seemed  like  a  gift  of  little  value.  1  lie 
island  was  inhabited  chiefly  by  savage  tribes  and  outlaws 
from  China.  There  were  no  laws,  no  cities,  no  roads,  and 
no  railroads.  To  make  the  island  a  valuable  addition  to  her 
well-ordered,  prosperous  empire  was  a  liaid  pioblein,  but  it 
was  not  too  hard  for  the  energetic,  ambitious  "  Yankees  of 
the  East,"  Immediately  they  set  about  their  work.  Since 
Formosa  has  been  in  her  possession,  Japan  has  opened 
roads,  built  railroads,  made  new  laws,  established  schools 
and  hospitals,  improved  harbors,  l)uilt  irrigation  systems,  and 
estal)lished  a  }>olic(!  force  to  jjrotect  the  peaceable^  working 
people  from  the  wild  tiibes.  The  go\  ('iiimeiii  encourages 
the  natives  to  settle  down  and  cultivate  the  soil,  giving 
them  seed,  land,  and  tools,  and  teaching  them  the  best 
ways  of  doing  their  work,  while  it  punishes  severely  those 

423 


424  ASIA 

who  still  persist  in  robbing  and  plnndering.  Thonsands  of 
Japanese  have  gone  to  Formosa  and  are  rapidly  developing 
its  resources,  wliieh  are  many  and  valuable. 

Of  course  the  products  which  the  thrifty  Japanese  would 
think  of  first  are  the  two  which  are  so  useful  in  their  own 
land — tea  and  rice.  Does  your  mother  use  oolong  tea?  If 
so,  very  likely  it  came  from  a  Formosan  plantation,  as  we 
buy  annually  from  Japan  several  million  pounds  of  oolong 
tea  which  was  grown  in  Formosa.  Besides  the  tea  and  rice 
farms  there  are  sugar  plantations,  poppy  fields,  and,  on  the 
shore,  large  salt  works. 

The  mountains  of  Formosa  extend  north  and  south 
through  the  island,  and  in  them  are  vast  deposits  of  coal, 
sulphur,  and  gold,  which  are  being  worked  more  and  more 
each  year.  The  forests  which  cover  the  slopes  are  fully  as 
valuable  as  the  minerals,  and  Japan  will  never  lack  for 
building  material  with  such  a  rich  supply  so  near  at  hand. 

Camphor  trees  grow  in  great  numbers  in  Formosa,  and 
the  island  su})plies  nearly  all  the  world  with  camphor. 
Some  is  produced  in  China  and  Japan,  but  millions  of 
pounds  of  the  gum  and  oil  come  from  Formosa.  The 
largest  camphor  forests  in  the  world  cover  its  mountain 
slopes.  The  trees,  which  grow  to  a  great  age,  are  as  large 
as  oaks  and  look  somewhat  like  them,  but  they  are  more 
beautiful,  liaving  darker,  glossier  leaves.  Formerly  the 
trees  were  cut  down  and  chopped  into  chips,  which  were 
boiled  to  obtain  the  sap  from  which  camphor  is  made. 
Even  the  immense  forests  of  Formosa  would  soon  have 
been  destroyed  by  the  wasteful  methods  which  the  Chinese 
used.  Now,  however,  the  Japanese  government  has  made 
the  camphor  industry  a  government  monopoly,  and  strict 


FORMOSA  AM)  KOREA 


425 


laws  are  enforced  as  to  the  methods  by  which  it  shall  be 
carried  on.  Five  trees  must  be  planted  for  every  one 
which  is  felled.  These  are  supplied  by  the  government, 
which  in  one  year  distributed  several  million  trees  and 
in  some  cases  also  gave  the  land  on  which  they  were  to 
be  planted. 

Recently  it  has 
been  found  unneces- 
sary to  fell  the  trees 
to  obtain  the  cam- 
phor, as  it  can  be 
manufactured  as  well 
from  the  leaves  and 
twigs  ;  and  now  that 
the  Japanese  govern- 
ment is  supervising 
the  work  so  closely 
and  this  easier  way 
of  obtaining  the  oil 
has  been  discovered, 
there  is  every  reasoi  i 
to  think  that  the 
industry  in  Formosa 
will  increase  very 
rapidly. 

Camphor  is  a  vciy 
important  material  in  the  making  of  (■ciluloid  and  ol 
powder  and  other  explosives.  Wlien  tlie  Japancsi'  wars 
were  in  progress,  great  ((uantities  were  nee(h'<l  at  home  in 
her  powder  far-tories,  and  lier  connncrcc!  was  s(t  seriously 
interfered  with  that  little  could  be  exported.    l*'or  both  of 


Fi(i.  109.    TiiK  Glossy-Grken  Cami-iior 
Treks  ark  as  Largk  as  Oaks  and  are 

MI  (11    MORE    BeAUTII'UL 


426 


ASIA 


these  reasons  the  price  of  caniplior  was  greatly  increased. 
Then  the  German  chemists  stepped  in  with  an  artificial 
article  wliich  they  had  succeeded  hi  making  in  their  labora- 
tories, and  few  people  knew  whether  they  were  using  the 

Ycgelable  gum  or 
the  manufactured 
product.  At  that 
time  it  was  thought 
that  artificial  cani- 
plior might  in  time 
take  the  place  of  the 
f)  apanese  article,  but 
so  far  it  has  not  done 
so.  In  times  of  peace 
the  natural  product 
can  be  obtained 
from  Formosa  more 
cheaply  than  the 
artificial  caniplifju 
can  be  manufac- 
tured, and  as  long 
as  this  rcniaiiis  pos- 
sible, Formosa  cam- 
phor \v\\\  form  the 
greater  part  of  the 
world's  supply. 
You  have  read  in  Chapter  VII  how  the  Japanese  drove 
the  llussians  out  of  Korea  and  took  possession  of  the 
peninsula.  Let  us  take  a  short  trip  through  the  country 
and  see  what  kind  of  a  land  it  is  which  has  been  added 
to  the  Japanese  empire. 


Fu;.    170.     'I'm:    Lkavks   of   the    Cami'iioii 
Tree  are  a  Dark,  Glossy  Green;    they 

ARE    boiled    to    OBTAIN   CaMPIIOR 


FORMOSA  AND  KOREA  427 

Korea  is  shaped  much  like  Florida,  but  its  surface  is 
very  different.  Heavily  wooded  mountains  extend  through- 
out its  entu-e  length,  growing  lower  toward  the  south  and 
rising  in  so  many  scattered  islands  oft"  the  coast  that  one 
of  the  titles  formerly  given  to  the  emperor  of  Korea  was 
The  Kuler  of  Ten  Thousand  Islands.  The  mountainous 
backbone  of  the  country  lies  nearer  the  eastern  than  the 
western  coast,  and  the  ocean  cliffs  on  the  Pacific  are  hun- 
dreds and  m  some  places  thousands  of  feet  in  height. 
The  wider,  more  fertile  plams  lie  on  the  western  slopes, 
and  it  is  here  that  we  shall  find  the  richest  farming  land, 
the  largest  cities,  and  the  best  harbors. 

Many  people  think  of  their  country  as  the  most  beautiful 
in  the  world,  even  though  to  strangers  it  may  seem  dreary 
and  uninteresthig.  The  Koreans,  however,  have  good  rea- 
son for  believing  their  land  one  of  the  loveliest  on  earth. 
It  has  green  hills,  beautiful  valleys,  mofintains  full  of  min- 
erals, broad,  fertile  plains,  a  good  rainfall,  and  a  delightful 
climate,  and  under  Japanese  direction  there  is  no  reason 
why  it  should  not  become  one  of  the  most  productive 
regions  of  Asia. 

We  will  land  at  Chemulpo,  the  port  of  Seoul,  the 
capital.  Korea  has  changed  in  many  ways  in  recent  years, 
and  especially  since  Japan  took  possession  of  it.  ('luMuulpo 
lia.s  grown  fi-om  a  lililr  lishiiig  village  to  an  iniportaiit  sea- 
port with  wide  streets,  good  shops,  a  nia/c  of  tclcjihoiic  and 
telegraph  wires,  and  a  train  service  to  Seoul. 

Look  at  the  wliite-robed  people  1  What  (juantities  of 
laundry  work  must  be  done  lo  keep  th('  garments  lit  to 
wear.  'I'he  womcu  wash  tlic  (  lothcs  iu  the  brooks  and  dry 
them  on  stones.    V()U  wouhl  .sinih;  to  see  the  way  in  which 


428 


ASIA 


they  do  the  ironing.  Before  they  wash  the  garments  they 
rip  them  apart,  and  after  the  clothes  are  thoroughly  washed 
they  wind  them  carefully  around  a  large,  smooth  stick. 
This  is  placed  on  the  ground  and  two  women  beat  it  with 


©  Underwood  &  Underwood 
Fkj.    171.     TllKUK    AKK    CUHIOUS    CoSTUMES    ON    THE    StKEETS 

clubs  until  the  cloth  is  dried  and  polished  nearly  as  well  as 
if  done  in  one  of  our  city  laundries. 

What  a  curious-look  in  cr  hat  that  man  is  \vearinsr!  It  is 
like  a  small,  half-opened  umbrella.  He  is  in  mourning  and 
that  is  his  mourning  hat,  which  he  must  wear  for  three 


FORMOSA  AND  KOREA  429 

years  if  he  would  show  proper  respect  for  the  dead.  There 
is  another  man  wearing  a  small  black  liat  which  looks  like 
a  piece  of  stovepipe  perched  on  the  top  of  his  head  and 
tied  on  by  ribbons  under  his  chin.  His  hat  and  the 
long,  full  sleeves  of  his  white  garment  tell  us  that  he  is  a 
wealthy  man  and  not  obliged  to  work.  It  is  hard  to  tell 
whether  these  people  coming  down  llio  street  arc  woiiu'ii 
or  men.  Their  hair  is  parted  and  worn  in  braids  down  their 
backs.  They  are  men,  and  because  they  are  unmarried  they 
are  not  allowed  to  wear  hats  or  to  arrange  tlicir  haii'  as  tlu^ 
married  men  do,  in  a  knot  on  the  top  of  the  head.  There 
are  other  curious  costumes  on  the  streets,  and  a  person  well 
acquainted  in  the  country  can  tell  at  a  glance,  from  the 
dress  which  a  Korean  wears,  what  is  his  station  in  life  and 
his  occupation. 

We  will  take  the  train  for  Seoul,  a  two  hours'  ride  from 
Chemulpo.  We  could  go  in  a  jiiirikisha  with  two  stout 
coolies  to  pull  us,  but  our  bones  would  ache  before  we 
arrived  at  the  capital.  There  are  no  good  roads  in  Korea. 
The  one  between  Chemulpo  and  Seoul  is  perhaps  the  best, 
but  even  this  is  only  a  rut  worn  l)y  the  feet  of  coolies,  or  a 
track  between  low  rice  fields. 

Seoul  is  a  city  about  the  size  of  Portland,  Oregon.  Let 
us  see  if  we  can  picture  to  ourselves  what  this  Korean  city 
is  like.  Imagine  a  large  city  surrounded  by  high  walls  in 
\vhich  are  eight  massive  gates,  each  one  ornamented  w  ith 
I'ows  of  queer  figures  soniewlmt  i-esembliug  moidvcys.  These 
are  placed  on  th(^  walls  to  liiglitcu  awav  evil  s[)irits  aud  so 
prote(.'t  the  peopl(j  of  the  cit\.  All  ihr  houses  arc  low,  oiu'- 
story  buildings  with  tiled  or  stiaw -ihatchcil  roofs.  'I'he 
streets  are  narrow,  crooked,  and   dirtv,   bordcnd    b\    low 


430 


ASIA 


^      .  J*.  jniiiVVi iThi '         N^i^r "".^jyiwvWriwwrJww^        ?F^^    "^^^^i^^!^C3? 


©I'lulerw.K.il  .^  I'li.k-rwood 

Fig.  172.    The  Houses  of  Seoul  are  Low  One-Story  Buildings 


open  shops  and  thronged  by  white-robed  men  with  liats 
of  every  conceivable  shape  or  with  no  hats  at  all.  Some 
are  carrying  dried  fisli  and  others  liave  buckets  of  water 
hung  on  a  yoke  which  rests  on  the  back  and  is  lield  in  place 
by  straps  over  the  slioulders.    Bullocks  loaded  with  wood 


FORMOSA  AND  KOREA 


431 


and  grass  crowd  the  passers-by,  and  little  horses  not  much 

larger  than  ponies  are  almost  hidden  under  heavy  packs. 

While  the  people  are  getting  their  meals  the  city  is  so 

filled  with  smoke  tliat  our  eyes  smart  antl  our  throats  ache. 


Fig.  178.    Manv  of  tiii:   IIoisks  of  Sicoul  havi;  Tiiak  iii;i>   Koofs 


I'lic  t'lK'l  is  (■liictly  .straw  jiml  Itnisli,  and  tin-  little  cliiiiiiicys 
which  extend  a  few  fe(!t  IVdiii  the  sides  (tf  tlie  houses  me 
all  belching  clouds  of  smoke.  The  houses  are  healed  in 
a  curious  way.  The  floors  an^  of  stone  or  eeiiieiii  with 
fhuis   connecting   with    the    lircplace    running    underneath. 


4:32 


ASIA 


Whenever  the  fire  is  Hglited,  the  floor  is  warmed,  conse- 
quently no  one  in  Korea  suffers  from  cold  feet,  or,  since 
they  sleep  on  the  floor,  from  a  cold  bed. 

Since  the   Japanese  occupation   of   Korea  some  of  the 
streets  of  Seoul  have  been  widened,  telephones,  telegraphs, 

and  electric  cars  have 
been  introduced  in 
parts  of  the  city,  and 
many  modern  build- 
ings have  been  erected, 
so  that  there  are  por- 
tions which,  if  it  were 
not  for  the  white- 
robed  people,  would 
be  very  much  more 
like  the  cities  with 
which  we  are  familiar 
than  the  parts  which 
I  have  described. 

Some  of  the  coun- 
try scenes  are  as  inter- 
esting as  those  in  the 
city.  There  are  quan- 
tities of  lumber  in  the 
great  forests,  and  stores  of  minerals  in  the  mountains,  yet 
these  resources  are  as  yet  little  developed.  Most  of  the  people 
are  farmers,  and,  as  in  China  and  Japan,  rice  is  one  of  the 
principal  crops.  (3ne  writer  says  that  rice  is  to  the  Korean 
what  roast  beef  is  to  the  Englishman,  macaroni  to  the  Ital- 
ian, and  potatoes  to  the  Irishman.  In  a  trip  through  the 
country  we  shall  see  dignified  Koreans  in  flowing  white 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 

Fig.  174.    There  are  Bullocks  loaded 
WITH  Wood 


FORMOSA  AND  KOREA 


433 


robes  working  in  the  rice  fields  witli  bullocks  attached  to 
the  little  homemade  plows;  on  the  hillsides  boys  are  scrap- 
ing up  the  dry  grass  with  queer  bamboo  rakes,  while  others 
are  loadmg  the  patient  pony  for  the  trip  to  the  city,  where 
the  grass  will  be  sold  for  fuel. 

See  the  women  waslnng  in  the  river !  Tlie  laundry  work 
keeps  them  bus}^  most  of  the  time,  for  the  white  clothing 
soils  very  quickly.  These 
washerwomen  are  of  the 
lower  class.  Few  women 
of  the  more  well-to-do 
people  appear  in  public, 
and  those  who  do  are 
careful  to  keep  their 
faces  veiled. 

Here  we  are  at  the  en- 
trance of  a  little  village. 
That  pile  of  logs  at  the 
end  of  the  main  street  is 
a  tiger  trap.  There  are 
many  tigers  in  some 
parts  of  Korea,  and  they 
often  wander  into  the  villages,  to  find  a  good  meal  in  tlie 
shape  of  a  lean  black  i)ig.  Pigs  are  very  numerous,  and  we 
see  many  of  them  here  in  the  village,  wandering  through 
tlie  streets  and  in  and  out  of  tlie  houses  at  will. 

The  Korean  is  very  hospitable,  and  thougli  liis  hut  may 
be  mean,  we  shall  lie  invited  to  enter  and  share  his  best. 
With  the  resources  of  his  country  tlierc  is  no  icason  why 
he  should  not  make  rapid  progress  now  that  his  eyes  and 
mind  are  being  opened  to  new  and  better  ways  of  life. 


©Kfystono  \'iew  Cii. 

Fig.  175.  We  see  Dignikiko  Koreans 
IN  Flowing  AVhite  Robes,  working 
IN  THE   Rice  Fields  with  Billocks 

ATTACHED    TO    HOSIEMADE    Pl.OWS 


434  ASIA 

TOPICS  FOK  STUDY 


1.  Size  of  Korea  and  Formosa. 

2.  Former  condition  of  Formosa. 

3.  Improvemonts  in  the  island. 

4.  Resources  and  jiroducts. 

5.  Camphor  and  camphor  forests. 

6.  Shape  and  surface  of  Korea. 

7.  The  port  of  Chemulpo. 

8.  Seoul,  the  capital. 

9.  Country  life  in  Korea. 


II 

1.  How  far  is  Formosa  from  tlie  Pliilippinc  Islands?    from  the 
United  States? 

2.  Read   Chajiter  VII   again  and  tell  how  Jai>an  obtained  the 
island  of  Formosa. 

3.  Tell  the  advantages  to  Japan  of  the  ownersliiji  of  Formosa. 

4.  Do  you  know  any  products  besides  camjdior  which  owe  their 
origin  to  the  skill  of  German  chemists? 

5.  How  did  Japan  obtain  Korea  ? 

6.  Why  are  the  cities  of  Korea  on  the  western  coast? 

7.  If  you  have  an  encyclopedia  at  home,  read  what  it  says  about 
Korea  and  tell  the  class  about  it. 

8.  Locate  the  Yalu  River  and  tell  the  reason  for  its  importance. 
What  industry  near  the  Yalu  River  is  spoken  of  on  page  123? 


ni 

Be  able  to  .spell  and  pronounce  the  following  names.    Locate  each 
place  and  tell  what  was  said  of  it  in  the  chapter. 

Yalu  River  Atlanta 

Seoul  Florida 

Chemulpo  Formosa 


FORMOSA  AND  KOREA  435 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

1.  Xame  all  the  ways  in  which  Asia  excels  the  other  continents. 

2.  Make  a  list,  in  the  order  of  their  size,  of  the  twenty-five  largest 
rivers  of  the  world.  Locate  each  one.  How  many  of  them  are  in  Asia  ? 

3.  Of  what  does  the  British  empire  consist?  the  Russian 
empire?  the  Chinese  republic?  Which  is  the  largest?  Which 
contains  the  most  people? 

4.  What  is  the  jiopulatiou  of  the  W(n-l(l?  Wliat  fractional  part 
live  in  Europe?  in  Asia?  in  Xoi-th  Aniericu?  in  tiie  Chinese  repuMii;? 
in  India? 

5.  Make  a  list  of  the  countries  whose  chief  food  product  is  rice; 
millet;  wheat. 

6.  Make  a  list  of  the  chief  countries  of  each  continent.  Write 
beside  each  one  a  product  or  some  products  for  wliicli  it  is  especially 
noted. 

7.  On  a  map  of  Asia  sliow  the  countries,  rivers,  mountains,  seas, 
gulfs,  bays,  peninsulas,  fifteen  cities,  and  two  railroads. 

8.  What  are  monsoons?  Over  what  countries  do  tliey  blow? 
What  effect  do  they  have? 

9.  Xame  some  deserts  in  .\sia.  .\ccouiit  for  the  lack  of  rainfall 
in  these  regions. 

10.  Xame  and  locate  two  important  iiiouuluiu  piissi-s  in  Asia, 
(iive  the  reasons  for  their  importance. 

11.  What  are  the  five  largest  cities  in  Asia?  Beside  each  one 
write  the  name  of  a  city  in  Europe  and  one  in  America  of  about 
the  same  size. 

12.  Write  a  list  of  the  ways  in  which  the  capital  of  the  United 
States  and  the  capital  of  China  differ. 

13.  In  which  country  of  Asia  would  j'ou  least  like  to  live?  In 
which  would  you  prefer  to  live?    Give  the  reasons  for  your  answers. 

14.  Color  a  map  of  Asia  to  show  the  Russian  and  the  English 
possessions.    How  nmch  of  the  continent  do  they  occuj)y? 

15.  Look  in  your  textbook  and  see  to  what  scale  the  niait  of  Asia 
is  drawn ;  the  map  of  Europe.  What  does  the  scale  tell  you  about 
the  size  of  the  two  continents?  From  the  figures  given  in  the  tables 
in  your  textlmoks  c<nnpare  the  areas. 

16.  When  it  is  noontime  in  the  United  Stat«'S,  what  time  is  it  in 
the  Ciiinese  repul)lic?    Why  is  the  time  dillerent  in  tlie  two  places? 


43G  ASIA 

17.  Which  city  has  the  hunger  siiiiniu'r  day,  Trkutsk  or  liaiit^kok? 
Can  you  tell  the  reason  ? 

18.  AVrite  tlie  name  of  a  city  in  each  country  of  Asia.  Ou  wiuit 
Avater  is  it  situated?    For  what  is  it  important? 

19.  Make  a  list  of  the  cities  of  Asia  which  have  a  population  of 
more  than  two  hundred  thousand.  Make  a  similar  li.st  of  cities  in 
the  United  States.  Compare  tlu-  uuuilicr  in  llie  two  lists.  Make  a 
li.st  of  the  citie.s  in  each  contiiu-nt  wliicli  liave  a  pii|nilatii>ii  of  iiion- 
than  a  million.    Locate  all  the  places  in  each  list. 

20.  iVIake  a  li.st  of  the  chief  ]iroducts  wliirli  itrc  mistil  in  IkiIH 
the  United  States  and  Asia. 

21.  Name  some  gems  and  ])reci(jus  stones  found  in  Asia.  'I'rU  the 
country  from  which  they  come. 

22.  Name  the  countries  of  the  world  most  nott'(l  tor  tin •  ]iro(lnct  ion 
of  rubber,  cotton,  wheat,  and  sugar. 

23.  Name  ten  great  seaports  of  the  world.    T.,ocate  them. 

24.  Name  a  country  and,  if  ])Ossil)le,  a  city  iioted  for  the  follow- 
ing products:  rice,  dairy  products,  tea,  rugs,  silk,  dates,  licorice,  opium, 
cinnamon,  tin,  pep])er,  furs,  lumber,  tigs,  oranges,  teakwood,  coc(juiits, 
cotton,  fans,  camphor,  wlieat,  millet,  shawls,  jiorcelain  and  china, 
quinine,  embroideries,  pearls,  cott'ee,  rubber,  i\ory. 


PRONOUNCING  VOCABULARY  AND  INDEX 

Key.  ale,  senate,  at.  care,  ask,  arm,  liuijl,  all :  eve,  event,  end,  her,  recent; 
iee,  111.  admiral  :•  Old,  obey,  ou,  for,  anehor ;  u.se,  liuite,  up,  fur,  eireus,  menii ; 
fiTud,  foot;  eh  a.i  in  ehop :  g  as  in  go;  ug  as  in  sing;  u  ((.s  in  ink;  tli  as  in 
thin;  tli  as  in  the;  n  as  uy  ('/*  cauyon ;  oi  as  in  oil;  o\v  as  in  eow ;  on  as  in 
noun ;  n  {the  French  nasal),  neaiiij  like  ng  in  sing ;  k  as  in  (Tennan  ich,  ach. 


Aden  (a'den),  Briti.sh  oniony,  de- 
scribed, 270-272 ;  on  the  route 
to  India,  33i> 

Afghanistan  (af  gan  I  stan'),  ai>- 
proach  to  India,  179  ;  railroad 
from  Merv,  179-180  ;  trade  \Yith 
Bokhara.  190  ;  fur  indu.stry,  197  ; 
described. 21o-215;  a  bufferstate, 
214-215;  fruit  prnduet.s,  216;  rug 
industry,  223  22.'),  220 

Africa  (;tf 'rl  ka).  diamonds,  75  ;  tea 
from  Cliina,  85 

Afridi  (afre'de),  <ruard  Kliyber 
(kl'ber)  Pass,  311,  312 

Agra,  Taj  Mahal  (ii'grii,  tiij  nia- 
liai),  310  318 

Ainus(I'noos),  inhabitantsof  noilh- 
ern  Japan,  382  384 

Alexander  (al  eg  zin'der)  the  (ireat, 
193,  212 

Ameer  (a  m6r')  of  Afghanistan, 
213,  215,  311,  312 

Amoy  (a  moi'),  treaty  port,  85 

Anmr  (a  moor')  River,  Chinese 
name.s,  12  ;  icebound,  12  ;  sitna- 
tjrm,  12  ;  length,  12,  127,  104  ; 
traffic,  139;  emigrants,  147;  con- 
nections, 104 

Anat(dia  (an  a  to  H  a),  situation, 
257 

Andijan  (andlzhan'),  terminus  of 
Central  Asian  Railroad,  199 

Angara  (iin  gii'ra)  River  receives 
Irkut  River,  171 

Angora  (iln  gO'r^),  situation,  250  ; 
goats,  250-257 


Animal.s.   elephants,    2.   293,   350 ; 

tigers,  2,  294,  433  ;  snake.s,  2,  293, 

300-301  ;   buffaloes,  50,  01,  322, 

309 ;  donkeys  in  Teheran,  233 
Araba  (a  ra'ba),  cart  in  Turkestan, 

203 
Arabia     (a  ra'bl  a),     shore,      242; 

Ilejaz,  2^0  ;  Aden,  270-  272  ;  prod- 

uct.s.  272  ;  size,  272  ;  surface  and 

.soil,  272;  custom.s.  273  ;  Ma.skat, 

273;  population.  273;  trip.  273 
Arabian  Night.s,  vSindbad  the  Sailor, 

244 ;  Ragdad,  250 
Aral  (ilr'al)  Sea,  remnant  of  ocean, 

187 
Arctic  (iirk'tlk)   Ocean,    boundary 

of   Ru.ssian    Kmpire,  121  ;   water 

comu'ctions  in  Siberia,  100 
Armenia    (arme'nia),      situation, 

255;  jjer.secutiou  by  Turks,  255- 

250 
A.shkabad     (a.sh'kii  biid),     in     the 

Tran.sca.spian  Province,  219 
Asia  (a'sha),  size,  1  ;  surface  and 

drainage,  1  ;  age,  2;   animals,  2; 

cities,  2  ;  ancient  civilization.  3; 

religions,  4  ;   ancient  connncrce, 

5;  resources,  5;  customs  of  i)eo- 

jjle,  0,  7  ;  tea  area,  70 
A.sia  Minor,  situation,  257 
A,s.sam  (ilssiXm'),  tea  indu.stry,  334 
A.strakhan   (ils'tra  kiln'),    oil.    185- 

180  ;  cotton,  189  ;  fur.s.  197 
Atlanta  comi)ared  with  'I'illis.  183 
Australia    (as  trail  a),     tea    from 

China,  86" 


437 


438 


ASIA 


Babylon  {bilb'il5n),  situation,  24f); 
Ihuiiiing  Gardens,  247 

Bagdad  (bag  diid'),  situation,  244  ; 
ronimerce,  240  ;  future,  247  ;  date 
industry,  249-250 ;  described, 
2r)0-2r)4  ;  railroad,  254 

Balirein  (bit  ran')  Islands,  pearl  in- 
dustry, 242-244 

liaku  (bii  koo'),  route  to  Central 
Asia,  181  ;  described,  185,  187  ; 
oil  industry,  180-187;  to  Kras- 
nuvodsk,  188 

Baltic  (l)al'tik)  Sea,  boundary  of 
Russia,  121,  122;  ("openbagen  at 
mouth,  122;  ports  on,  122,  158 

Baluchistan  (ba  loo  chi  stiin'),  de- 
scribed, 215-210,  217;  rug  indus- 
try, 223-220  ;  villages,  23!) 

lianiboo,  uses,  02-08 

Bangkok  (ban  kok'),  capital  ol' 
Siaui,  304 ;  described,  305-3(i7 

Barbers,  in  Shanghai,  21  ;  in  Tiii- 
kestan,  207 

Basra  (bas'ra),  a  seaport,  244  ; 
future,  247;  date  in(Uistrv,  241)- 
250 

Batum  (batoonr),  route  to  Asia, 
181;  oil  industry,  180 

Bay  of  Bengal  (bf  n  gdl'),  304 

Bazaars  (ba  ziirz'),  of  Turkestan, 
105-107,  204-200  ;  of  Tiflis,  184  ; 
of  Bokhara.  195-197;  of  Tasli- 
kend,209  ;  of  Tabriz,  218  ;  of  Ka- 
slian,  230 ;  of  Damascus.  200  2()1 

Beans,  in  China,  03;  in  Manchuiia, 
132-133,  130,  140 ;  in  Japan, 402  - 
403 

Beggai-s,  in  China,  21,  37;  in 
bazaars,  107 

Beirut  (ba  root'),  port  of  Syria,  202; 
described,  202-203 

Benares  (beu  a'r6z),  described,  320- 
324 

Bengal  (bgngdl'),  population,  281; 
jute  industry,  329;  making  of 
indigo,  332 

Betel  (be'tl)  leaf  and  nut,  293,  309, 
371  , 

Bethlehem  (b6th'l^  h6m),  birth- 
place of  Christ,  2G6-267 


Black  Sea,  formerly  in  Turkish 
territory,  121 ;  a  Russian  bound- 
ary, 122;  controlled  by  Constan- 
tinople, 122;  shii)iiing  of  oil,  180 

Bokhara  (bo  Kii'rii),  traders  at  I^t'h, 
90  ;  trade  with  Turkestan,  105  ; 
position,  178;  raili'oad,  178; 
scenery,  192  ;  described,  193- 
198;  fur  industry,  197,  198;  rug 
industry,  198 

Bond)ay  (bonibiV),  described,  290- 
304  ;  a  trip  to  Calcutta,  304  ; 
cotton-mills,  327 

Borneo  (bor'iie  o).  nortlicni  i)art 
luider  British  pnitcctinii.  3')l 

Boxer  riots  of  1900,  33 

Brahuians  (bra'mauz),  number,  4 

Braluuaputra  (br;i  nia  poo'tra) 
Kiver,  use  to  India,  278 

P.razil  (brazil'),  rubber  industry, 
348 

Brick  lea,  ill  Tientsin,  33  ;  in  Man- 
churia   138 

Buddha  (bood'a),  teachings,  355- 
350 

Buddhists  (b(K)d'Tsts),  number.  4, 
355 ;  holy  city  of  Lhasa,  90 ; 
prayer  liags  and  wheels,  95-90; 
of  'i'ibet,  99 

Bulfer  states:  Tibet,  102;  Korea, 
124;  Afghanistan,  214-215; 
Siam,  351 

Biiriats  (bob'rl  3,ts),  tribes  of  east- 
ern Siberia,  173 

Burma  (btii-'ma),  size,  351;  rice, 
352-353,  354^  301-302  ;  Pagoda 
Land,  355  ;  Buddhists,  355-356  ; 
teakwood,  350,  302-364;  ele- 
phants, 356-358,  303;  Chinese, 
358-359 ;  Hindus,  359  ;  Burmese, 
359-301  ;  potters  and  pottery, 
301 ;  floods,  363 

Caaba  (kii'a  ba),  holy  stone  of 
Mekka,  270  " 

Calcutta  (kSl  kiit'a),  voyage  of 
Vasco  da  Gama,  0 ;  trip  from 
London,  180 ;  future  railroad 
route,  254  ;  in  Bengal,  281 ;  size, 
296;    trip   from   Bombay,   304; 


INDEX 


439 


described,  304-308;  cotton  manu- 
facturing, 327;  jute  manufactur- 
ing, 329 

Camphor  industry  in  Formosa, 
424-42() 

Canals  of  China,  24-25, 26, 41, 64, 65 

Canton  (kan  ton'),  situation,  41  ; 
described,  47-48  ;  treaty  port,  85 

Canton  River,  41 

Caravans,  in  Tientsin,  33 ;  in 
Peking,  37,  84-85  ;  at  Leli,  90  ; 
in  Tibet,  97  ;  in  Turkestan,  105  ; 
from  China  to  Mongolia,  109- 
111,  114;  center  in  Irkutsk,  171; 
in  Persia,  220-221,  222-223,  232, 
235  ;  feeding,  227  ;  in  Mesopo- 
tamia and  Syria,  246,  254,  255, 
263 ;  to  Mekka,  262  ;  between 
India  and  China,  310 

Carp,  raised  in  Japan,  405 

Cash,  coin  of  China,  21 

Caspian  (kas'pian)  Sea,  controlled 
by  Russia,  127  ;  Central  Asian 
Railroad,  180;  oil  industry,  185- 
186;  described,  187-188;  (listilla- 
tion  of  water,  187,  189;  size,  187  ; 
renniant  of  old  ocean.  187,  188; 
sail  on,  188;  salt  industry,  188; 
cotton  shipments,  189 

Caste  in  India,  335336 

Cattle  in  China,  62 

Caucasus  (ka'ka  sus)  Mountains, 
apples,  162  ;  liariel  Pass,  181-182 

Central  Asia,  tea  caravans,  85 ; 
size  of  provinces,  88  ;  countries, 
178;  railroads.  178-180;  com- 
merce, 179,  189:  scenery,  190; 
irrigation,  191-192  ;  oases,  191- 
192,  193;  ancient  civilization, 
192;  cities.  192;  ancient  traffic. 
193;  Bokhara  described,  193-194; 
furs,  197-198  ;  rugs,  198,  223- 
226;  cotton,  198-199;  schools, 
209-210 

Central  Asian  Railroad,  178-179; 
l)reparations  for  a  trip.  180; 
freight.  189-190;  furs  carried, 
197- 19K 

Ceylon  (sf  ImO,  tea.  76,  KO.  407; 
government,    339 ;    importance, 


339  ;  seaport,  339 ;  size,  339 ; 
climate,  339340  ;  bullocks  and 
elephants,  340  ;  houses,  342,  343 ; 
people,  342-343;  railroad,  343; 
holy  city  of  Kandy,  343,  344 ; 
jungles  and  forests,  343,  344 ;  his- 
tory, 344  ;  irrigation,  344  ;  coco- 
nuts, 345-346  ;  cinnamon.  346, 
347;  tea,  347  ;  (juiniue.  347,  348  ; 
rubber,  348  ;  cocoa,  348 ;  quarries, 
348  ;  graphite,  348-349 ;  tortoise 
shell,  349 
Chelyabinsk  (chfl  yii  bi^nsk').  gate- 
way of  Siberia,  144,  145,  146,  147 
Chemulpo  (ch^  mul'po)  described, 

427-428 
Cherry  trees  in  Japan,  399-400 
Chihli  (che'le),  population,  32 
China,  old  proverb,  9;  customs,  9, 
10;  girls,  9,  70-71  ;  schools,  9-10, 
()7  68  ;  ancient  civilization,  10, 
11;  climate,  11;  isolation,  11; 
size,  11;  people,  11,  12;  popu- 
lation, 12;  waterways.  12;  roads, 
18,  34,  38  ;  (Jrand  Canal,  24-25, 
113;  walls,  2(J,  30.  35,  3(i ;  reed 
industry. 28;  fuel.  28;  Szechwan, 
31  ;  Chihli,  32  ;  rivers,  32  ;  vil- 
lages on  the  I'ei  River,  32  ;  rulers, 
35  ;  Peking  carts,  37  ;  houses,  38  ; 
lanterns,  38  ;  sho])s,  38,  48  ;  foot- 
binding,  39-40  ;  water  popula- 
tion, 41  ;  fishing,  42 ;  care  of 
dead,  48  ;  farms  and  farmers.  49, 
51-64  ;  nnllet,  52,  63  ;  opium,  52- 
54;  rice,  54-62  ;  cattle,  62;  fond. 
62-63  ;  cotton,  63  ;  sugar,  64  ;  vil- 
lages and  towns,  64-69;  religion, 
71-72;  future,  72,  73;  tea.  76, 
77-80,  84-85;  use  of  machinery, 
80-81  ;  superstitions,  81-83;  bur- 
ial of  dead,  82  ;  farm  imxlucts, 
84  ;  treaty  ports,  85  ;  ])rovinces, 
88  ;  source  of  rivers,  89  ;  route 
to  Tibet,  89,  94  :  traders  at  Leli, 
90;  exi)orts  to  Tibet.  95;  imimrts 
from  Tii)et.  95;  trade  with  Tur- 
kestan. 105;  route  info  Siberia, 
109;  (ireat  Wall,  III  113  ;  rail- 
road  through    Man<liuria,    122; 


•1-40 


ASIA 


treaty  with  Japan  about  Kcirea, 
12-4;  Cliiiin-.Jaiiaiii'Sf  War,  124- 
125,  385;  Maueliuriau  trade,  128; 
drug  stores,  185 ;  \ise  of  pork, 
136;  trade  of  Middle  Ages,  11)3; 
trade  with  Central  Asia,  I'.Ki ; 
rug  industry.  223 ;  Chinese  in 
Burma,  358-350  ;  history  of  silk 
industry,  413-414;  exports  of 
silk,  421 ;  eaniphor,  424 

( 'liina'sSorr(iw,th('  lIwangKiver.l5 

e'hopstieks,  in  China,  62,  66;  in 
Manchuria,  138 

Chrysanthemums  in  Japan,  400 

Cinnamon  from  Cej'lon,  346-347 

Cocoa  from  Ceylon,  348 

Coconut,  uses,  345-346 

('offee  from  Arabia,  272 

Colombo  (ko  ionriio)  described, 
339-342 

Columbus,  theory,  5  ;  discoveries, 
5  ;  object,  413 

Confucius  (kon  f u'slil  us),  teach- 
ings, 71 

Constantinople  (kon  st.an  tl  nd'pl), 
situation,  122 ;  route  to  Asia, 
181;  rug  industry,  226;  railroad 
to  Bagdad. 254 ;  wool  industry, 257 

Coolies,  in  Shanghai.  16,18;  water 
carriers,  20;  on  Yangtze,  30^31 ; 
in  Peking,  37  ;  care  of  dead,  48  ; 
rice  diet, ,  62  ;  tea  carriers,  85, 
04 ;  in  Japan,  390,  30(!,  308 

Copenhagen  (ko  pen  ha'gen),  at 
mouth  of  Baltic  Sea,  122 

Cormorant  fishing  in  ("hina,  42 

Cotton,  in  China,  63,  84  ;  in  ba- 
zaar's, 107;  in  Turkestan,  171, 
180;  in  Taln-iz.  218;  in  Persia, 
220;  in  India,  327;  manufactur- 
ing, in  Japan,  409 

Cotton  seed,  202 

Cotton  trade  in  Central  Asia,  105, 
196,  108-199,  205 

Cottonseed  cakes,  204 

Cottonseed  oil,  202,  205 

Cyrus  (si'ru.s),  king  of  Persia,  212 

Dairen  (dl'ren')  railroad  to  Ilaibin, 
122,  125,  139,  174;  building  of 


the  city,  126  ;  Manchurian  port, 

127;  described,  129-130 
Dairying,   in  Siberia,  157-150;  in 

Denmark,  158;  butter-making  in 

Persia,  231 
Dalai  J>ama  (dii  li'  la'ma),  of  Tibet, 

09-100 
Damascus  (da  mas'ku.s),  age,  255  ; 

route    from    Bagdad,    255 ;    de- 
scribed,   258-261  ;     railroad    to 

Beirut.  2()2-2(i3  ;  distance  from 

Jerusalem,  264 
Dariel  (da'ri  CI)  Pass,  in  Caucasus 

Mountains,  181;  described,  182 
Darius  (da  ri'us),   king  of   Persia, 

212 
Darjeeling    (diir  je'llng).     summer 

resort,  309;  route  to  China,  310; 

tea  industry,  334 
Dates   in   western   Asia,   249-250, 

272,  273 
Dead  Sea  described,  264 
Delhi    (deriil),    capital    of    India, 

313-316 
Dcmaveiid    (demavend'),    highest 

peak  of    llie   l'",lburz    Mountains, 

235 
Desert    of    (inhi,    103  ;    descrilicd, 

113-114 
Desert  of  Turkestan,  103,  105 
Diamonds  from  SovUh  Africa,  75 
Droshky  (drosh'ki),  a  Russian  con- 
veyance, 175 
Duck  farms  in  China,  25,  42 
Dyes  for  oriental  rugs,  224 

East  Indies,  rice  industry,  54;  tea, 
407 

iM'Iipses,  cai'ly  i)i'cdictinns.  11 

Kducation  in  China,  22.  67.  ()0-70; 
schools,  0-10,  67-(i8  ;  Of  girls.  70 

IClburz  (el  bo(3rz')  Mountains,  liigh- 
(!st  peak,  235 

Elc^phants,  in  India,  293  ;  in  lum- 
ber yards,  356-358 ;  white,  364 

Embroideries  from  Switzerland,  75 

England,  colony  of  Hongkong,  43- 
4(» ;  shipl)uil(ling,  75 ;  tea  con- 
sumption. 77 ;  expedition  to 
Tibet,  100, 102;  interest  in  Tibet, 


IXDEX 


441 


101-102  ;  control  of  India,  102  ; 
interest  in  Chino-Japanese  AYar, 
125 ;  beans  from  Manchuria,  132 ; 
interest  in  Persia,  23i) ;  opposi- 
tion to  German  railroad  in  Tur- 
key, 254;  improvements  in  India, 
279 ;  irrigation  in  India,  28G, 
288  ;  Ceyion,  339  ;  other  strong- 
holds, 339  ;  possessions,  351 

Euphrates  (u  f ra'tez)  River  basin, 
213  ;  course  of  river,  249  ;  date 
Industry,  249-250 

Everest  (gv'er  est),  highest  peak  of 
the  Himalayas,  309 

Fan-making  in  China,  26 
Farming  in  China,  51-64 
Federated  Malay  States.    See  INIa- 

lay  Peninsula 
Fertilizer  from  Chinese  canals,  25 
Figs,  industry  in  Turkey,  258 ;  in 

California,  258 
Fish  in  China,  25,  42 
Flax  in  India,  328 
Floods  of  Hwang  Kiver,  15 
Foochow  (foo  did'),  tea  center,  84 
Foot-binding  in  China,  39-40 
Formosa  (for  nio'sa).   tea,  77,  80 ; 
ceded  to  Japan,  124,  125  ;  posi- 
tion, 382  ;  backward  state,  423  ; 
size,   423 ;    improvements,   423- 
424 ;  products,  424 ;  surface,  424 ; 
camphor,  424426 
France,  wine  production,  75;  aided 
Russia  against  Japan,  125  ;  silk, 
414 
Fuel,  in  China,  28,  66 ;  in  Tibet,  98 
Fujiyama  (foo  je  ya'ma)  described, 

388,  396 
Furs  and  skins,  in  Manchuria,  133- 
134,   135;   in  Siberia,   165,   166- 
1(>8  ;   in  Central  Asia,  189,  196, 
197-198 

Ganges  (gSn'jgz)  River,  uses  of, 
278 ;  delta,  304-305,  352 ;  city  of 
Renares,  320-324 

Garden  of  Kdcn,  216 

Genoa  (jr-n'o  a),  early  importance,  5 

Georgia  in  Transcaucasia,  183 


Germany,  aided  Russia  against 
Japan,  125 ;  goods  in  Siberia, 
162;  railroad  in  Turkey,  254; 
artificial  camphor,  426 

Gibraltar  (ji  bral'tgr),  compared 
with  Hongkong,  46  ;  outpost  of 
England,  339 

Goats  in  Tibet,  96  ;  in  Kashmir,  314 

Gobi  (go'be),  Desert  of,  113-114 

Gold  in  Ural  Mountains,  144 

Goldfish  in  Japan,  405 

Gooffa,  boat  used  on  Tigris  River, 
251,  252 

Grain,  sent  to  Peking,  33 ;  millet, 
52  ;  planted  in  rows,  52 

Grand  Canal,  described,  24-25 ; 
former  traffic,  33  ;  Tientsin,  33  ; 
water  poxmlation,  41-42 

Gi-aiifl  Lama  (la'ma)  of  Tibet,  99, 
100 

Graphite  in  Ceylon,  348-349 

Great  Britain,  influence  with  Ameer 
of  Afghanistan,  215 ;  Baluchi- 
stan, 215-217;  Aden,  270-272; 
control  of  India,  278-279.  See 
also  England 

Great  Wail  of  China,  111-113 

(iunpowder,  invention,  10 

Han  (han)  River,  brancli  of 
Yangtze,  27 

Hangchow  (hiing'cho'),  beautiful 
situation,  23-24 ;  beauty,  24 ; 
silk,  24 

Hankow  (hiin'ko'),  tea  market, 
27,  84,  85 ;  railroads,  27 ;  de- 
scribed, 28 

Harl)in  (harl)en'),  railroad  to  Dai- 
ren,  122-123,  126;  described, 
139-140;  connncne,  140;  flour- 
mills,  140;  sawmills,  140;  rail- 
r(ja<l  center,  174 

Hejaz  (hfj  az'),  262,  270 

IIiTat  (iif-raf),  importam  c.  214 

Himalaya  (hi  mii'la  ya)  Mountains, 
situation,  1,  278;  effect  on  cli- 
mate, 2K(i  ;  described,  309  310 

Hindu  Kush  (liln'doo  koosh')  Moun- 
tains, early  Aryan  i)eo])|c,  1H2  ; 
land  of  Kasiimir,  313-314 


442 


ASIA 


Ho,  northern  Chi  nose  word  for 
"rivi'r,"  14 

Hogs  in  jManchuria,  loO 

Holy  Land,  Bible  scenes,  4 ;  de- 
scribed, -ZV>A:-2a) 

Honjrkong  (hong'kong'),  described, 
43-46  ;  treaty  port,  85 

Honshu  (hon'shoo),  Ja]ian.  382  ; 
Tokyo,  388;  Osaka.  4U!» 

Houses,  in  China,  31,  38-31),  04-00; 
in  Mongolia,  117;  in  Turkestan, 
15)9-201 ;  in  Tadda-nd,  201) ;  in 
Afghanistan,  214 ;  of  Asiatic 
tribes,  223,  224-225;  in  Persia, 
229-232  ;  in  Baluchistan,  239  ; 
of  Arabs,  273 ;  in  India,  282  ;  in 
Bombay,  21)8 ;  in  Ceylon,  342, 
343  ;  in  Japan,  393-395  ;  in  Ko- 
rea, 429 

Hugli  (hoo'gli)  River,  mouth  of 
(Janges,  304 ;  a  sail  down  the,  352 

Hwang  (hwiing)  River,  situation, 
12;  color,  14;  loess,  14;  scenes 
in  valley,  14;  size,  14 ;  usefulness, 
14;  dikes,  15;  floods,  15;  water 
population,  41-42 

Ichang  (e'chang'),  trip  from  Han- 
kow, 28  ;  tratlic,  30 ;  gorges,  30 

India  (Tn'di  a),  search  for  route,  5; 
opium,  52  ;  rice,  54  ;  tea,  70,  80, 
333-334,  407 ;  route  to  Tibet,  89  ; 
source  of  rivers,  89;  traders  at 
Leh,  90  ;  trade  witli  Turkestan, 
105;  trade  with  Manchuria,  128; 
approach  from  the  northwest, 
179;  trade  with  Bokhara,  190; 
route  from  western  Asia,  214; 
fruit  from  Afghanistan  and 
Baluchistan,  216 ;  rugs,  223 ; 
character  of  people,  270 ;  cus- 
toms,  277;     size,   277;     rivers, 

278  ;  surface,  278  ;  climate,  278, 
282,     307;      government,     278- 

279  ;  improvements  bv  England, 
279-280 ;  railroads,  27'9-280,  304  ; 
travel,  280;  population,  280- 
281 ;  dress,  281  ;  villages,  281- 
294;  houses,  282;  bathing,  283; 
work   of   the   women,   283-284 ; 


.schools,  284 ;  wells,  284  ;  irri- 
gation, 284-287;  farmers,  280- 
287 ;  monsoons,  28()-287  ;  the 
l)0tter,  287-288  ;  the  wa,shernian, 
290 ;  the  carpenter,  291  ;  the 
blacksmith,  291;  the  goldsmith, 
291  ;  the  barber,  291  ;  the  ba- 
zaars, 292-293  ;  betel  chewing, 
293  ;  the  priest,  293  ;  other  vil- 
lage workers,  293  ;  elephants, 
293  ;  snakes,  293-294.  300,  301  ; 
tigers,  294  ;  smaller  animals,  294  ; 
cities,  290-297  ;  the  plague,  298  ; 
cows  held  sacred,  298-299  ;  la- 
borers, 300  ;  Parsis,  301-303  ; 
summer  resorts,  308-309 ;  pro- 
tected by  Himalayas,  309-310; 
Khyber  Pass,  310-312;  overland 
routes,  310;  Ganges  valley,  312; 
trunk  road,  312-313 ;  capital. 
313-310 ;  ruins,  temples,  and 
tombs,  316  ;  Taj  Mahal,  310-318  ; 
holy  city  of  Benares,  320-324  ; 
jugglers,  322;  cotton,  327;  man- 
ufacturing, 328  ;  flax,  328  ;  jute, 
328-329;  poppy  fields  and  opium, 
329-331;  indigo,  332-333;  lico- 
rice, 334  ;  sugar,  334  ;  rice,  mil- 
let, and  wheat,  334-335  ;  caste, 
335-336;  route  from  England 
guarded,  339  ;  Hindus  in  Burma, 
359 

Indigo  in  India,  332-333 

Indo-China,  French  possession,  351 

Indus  (hi'dus)  l{iver,  213.  217 

Iran  (e  riin'),  plateau.  213 

Ira(i  (e  rrik").  Aral)  kingdom,  240 

Irbit  (erbef).  fairs,  166 

Ireland,  linens,  75 

Irkut  (Ir  koot')  River,  Irkutsk.  159; 
brancli  of  Angara  River,  171 

Irkutsk  (Irkootsk'),  situation,  159; 
described,  170-172;  from  Lake 
Baikal,  172 

Iron  in  Ural  Mountains,  144 

Irrawaddy  (ir  a  wod'i)  River,  high- 
way of  Burma,  301-302  ;  floating 
lumber,  304 

Irrigation,  in  China,  55-50 ;  in 
Central  Asia,  191-192;  in  Persia, 


IXDEX 


443 


217;  ill  ludia,  286-287;  in  Cey- 
lon, 344 
Ispahan  (is  pa  han')  described,  236 
Italy,  macaroni,  75 ;  silk,  414,  421 
Ivory   from   tusks   of   iiiamiiiotlis, 
156 

Jalalabad  (ja  la  Iji  biid'),  winter 
capital  of  Afghanistan,  214 

Japan  (ja  pan'),  rice,  54,  3!)7.  404, 
418;  "tea,  7(3,  77,  80,  380-3U0, 
404,  406-407,  418  ;  troubles  over 
Korea,  123-126;  size,  124,  382, 
384;  population,  124.384;  Chino- 
Japanese  War,  124-125,  385 ; 
Russo-Japanese  War,  125,  127, 
385;  interest  in  Manchuria,  128, 
130;  beans,  132,  402;  eharacter 
of  people,  379-380 ;  eoiniiicrce 
with  United  States,  380,  407; 
customs,  381;  distance  from  Sin- 
gapore, 381 ;  climate,  382  ;  Aiiius, 
382-384 ;  occupations,  385 ;  manu- 
facturing, 385,  408,  409-410; 
Fujiyama,  388  :  jinrikisiias,  389  ; 
si  Ik, '390,  404,  408-409,  413-421  ; 
fire  stations,  391 ;  eartlKjuakes 
and  volcanoes,  392-393;  houses, 
393-395;  railroads  and  high- 
roads, 396 ;  farms.  397-398  ;  wa- 
ter crops,  398 ;  gardens,  398-399 ; 
cherry  blossoms,  399-400  ;  chrys- 
anthemums, 400 ;  wistaria,  400 ; 
ruler,  400-401  ;  lacquer  work, 
•403-404,  407;  mulberry  trees, 
404,  418;  fishing,  404;  turtles, 
404-405;  goldfish  and  carp,  405; 
progress,  410;  water  power,  418; 
Formosa,  423-426 ;  camphor,  424- 
426;  Korea,  427-433 

Jasper  in  Ural  Mountains,  144 

Java  (jii'va),  tea,  80  ;  tin,  373      . 

Jerusalem  (ju  roT/sa  I6m),  holy  city 
of  Jews,  90  ;  Kituatif)n,  264  ;  (h-- 
scribed,  264-266 

Jinrikishas  (jIn  rik'ishaz),  in  Shang- 
hai, 17;  in  Manchuria,  129;  in 
Vladivostfik,  175;  in  Japan, 
389,  390 

Jordan  River,  length,  264 


Jugglers,  in  Shanghai,  22  ;  in  ba- 
zaars, 107  ;  in  India,  322 

Junks,  in  Shanghai,  16  ;  on  Yangtze 
River,  27,  28,  30-31  ;  on  Poi 
River,  32  ;  at  Tientsin,  34  ;  on 
Liao  River,  132 

Jute  in  India,  328-329 

Kabul  (ka'bool),  capital  of  Afghan- 
istan, 197 
Kalat  (ka  lat'),  city  of  Baluchistan, 

215 
Kalgan  (kal  gan'),  trade  center,  111 
Kandy  (kan'de),  holy  city  in  Ceylon, 

343,  344 
Karachi  (ka  rii'clie),  trip  up  Persian 

Gulf,  239 
Karakul    (kit  ra  kw)!'),     fur    frcnn 

Afghanistan,  197 
Kashan   (kashan'),   silk    imlustry, 

236 
Kashgar  (kash  gar'),  size,  105 
Kashmir  (kash  mer').  route  toTibet, 

90;  described,  313-314 
Kernian   (ker  man'),  rug  industry, 

237-238 
Kerosene  in  China,  67 
Khiva  (Ke'va).  situation,  178 
Klidtan  (Kotiin'),  size,  105 
Khvber    (ki'ber)    Pass,    described, 

310-312 
Kiakhta  (keiik'ta),  fairs,  ]6(i 
Kiang  (kyang'),  southern  Ciiinese 

word  for  '"  river,"  11 
Kipliufr,  Rudyard,  tiuotations,  276, 

281  ' 
Kii'i;lii/,  (kirge//),  people,  156-157, 

liiO 
Kiriii  (kir'in),  tratle  center  of  .M:ni- 

chniia,  134_ 
Kiushu     (kyoo'shoo'),     ishiiid      nt 

Japan,  382 
Kobe  (kr/bfi),  port  of  Osaka,  410 
Koran  (k6  ran'),  the  Mohammedan 

Hible,  234  ;  carved  on  Taj  Mahal, 

318 
Korea    (kft  rfa),    resources,     123; 

Kiissian  inlen'Sl  in.  123  ;  abnlTer 

slate.  124  ;  treaty  between  China 

and  Japan,  124  ;  Chino-Jai)aneso 


444 


ASIA 


AVar,  124-125  ;  I\ussn-.Tapancse 
War,  125-127,  42();  size,  428; 
beauty,  427;  Cheimilpo,  427; 
.sliapo,  427  ;  .surface,  427  ;  people, 
427-429 ;  houses,  42'J,  431 ;  Seoul, 
429-431  ;  improvements,  432 ; 
country  scenes,  432-433 ;  rice, 
432,  433 

Krasnovodsk  (kras  no  votsk'),  ter- 
minus of  Central  Asian  Railroad, 
180;  described,  188-190 

Kuenlun  (kwen  loon')  Mountains, 
north  of  Tibet.  ]03 

Kurile  (koo'ril)  Islands,  Japan,  382 ; 
inhabitants,  382-384 

Kyoto  (kyo'to),  lacquer  work,  403; 
old  capital  of  Japan,  400;  de- 
scribed, 407-408 ;  silk  industry, 
408-409,  417 

Laces  from  Switzerland,  75 

Lacijuer  (iak'er)  industry  of  Japan, 
403-404,  407 

Lamas  of  Tibet,  90 

Leh  (la),  trading  city,  90 

Leipziij  (lip'sik),  fur  center,  106, 
189,'l98 

Lena  (le'na)  River,  water  connec- 
tions, 100;  trip,  104 

Lhasa  (liis'a),  capital  of  Tibet,  89  ; 
a  holy  city,  89-90,  99  ;  route  from 
Leh,  90;  tea  route  from  China, 
94-95 ;  Grand  Lama,  99 ;  de- 
scribed, 100-101  ;  treaty  with 
England,  102 

Liao  (le  ou')  River,  in  Manchuria, 
127;  trafMc,  132 

Liaotiui,tc(-t6onir')- peninsula,  ceded 
to  Japan,  125,  127  ;  Port  Arthur, 
129 

Licorice,  industry  in  western  Asia, 
258;  in  India," 334 

Linens  from  Ireland,  75 

Loess  (lo'es),  color,  14  ;  fertility, 
14  ;  origin,  14 

London,  butter  from  Siberia,  158; 
fur  center,  100.  198 

Lumber,  on  the  Yangtze  River,  28  ; 
in  Sibeiia,  ](i4-10'5.  108 

Lyon  (le  on'),  silk  industry,  421 


Macaroni  from  Italy,  75 

JMalachite  (mara  kit)  from  Ural 
Mountains,  144 

Malakka  (ma  lak'a),  peninsula  and 
strait,  373 

INIalay  (ma  lil')  Peninsula,  under 
British  protection,  351 ;  rice,  373 ; 
tin,  373,  374,  375-370 ;  rubber, 
374  ;  villages,  374-375  ;  jiepper 
plantations,  375 

Mammoths,  remains,  156 

jManchester  (man'ches  ter),  cotton 
goods,  196;  compared  with  Osaka, 
409  _ 

Manchuria  (man  choo'rl  a),  tea 
caravans,  85 ;  a  Chinese  prov- 
ince, 88 ;  position,  121 ;  railroads, 
122,  129,  139  ;  Russian  interest, 
123  ;  Chino-Japanese  War,  124- 
125;  Russo-Japanese  War,  125- 
127;  size,  127;  resources,  127; 
waterways,  127  ;  ports,  127,  129  ; 
development,  128  ;  trade  with 
United  States,  128 ;  described, 
131-132  ;  bean  product,  132, 130  ; 
furs  and  skins,  133-134  ;  travel 
and  traflfic,  135-130 ;  raising  hogs, 
136;  dwellings,  137-138;  food, 
138 ;  occupations,  138-139 ;  wheat 
and  Hour,  140  ;  Trans-Siberian 
Railroad,  173-174 

]\Ianchus  (man  cIioTjz'),  rulers  of 
China,  35  ;  ajipearance,  39 

Marathon  (mar'a  thon),  defeat  of 
Persians,  212 

Marseille  (marsa'y'),  silk  from 
Japan,  390 

Maskat  (mus  kat')  described,  273 

Mediterranean  (med  i  ter  a'n^  an) 
Sea,  early  conunerce,  5 

Mekka  (mek'a),  holy  city  of  Mo- 
hammedans, 90,  252  ;  pilgrims 
and  caravans,  202  ;  described, 
269-270  ;  capital  of  Ilejaz,  270 

Mekong  (ma  kong')  River,  a  bound- 
ary stream,  352 

Menam  (mS  nam')  River,  floating 
lumber,  3f)4  ;  Bangkok,  305 

Merv  (m^rf),  secret  railroad,  179^ 
180,  193  ;  described,  192-193 


INDEX 


445 


Meshed  (me  sliecl'),  pilgrims,  220  ; 
route  from  Ashkabad,  220 ;  rug 
industry,  223 

Mesopotamia  (mes  6  p6  ta'ml  a),  sit- 
uation, 240  ;  ancient  glories,  246- 
247  ;  present  condition,  247-264 

Mexico  (mek'si  ko),  oil  industry, 
187 

Millet,  in  China,  52,  03  ;  in  Man- 
churia, 133,  130,  139  ;  in  India, 
334 

Mohammedans,  numbers,  4  ;  closed 
trade  routes,  5  ;  in  Bokhara,  195; 
crescent,  250  ;  privacy  of  homes, 
252  ;  worship,  252  ;  pilgrimages 
to  Mekka,  262  ;  holy  city  of 
Mekka,  269-270  ;  in  India,  282, 
313 

Mongolia  (mon  go'll  a),  products, 
33  ;  caravans  from  China,  85  ; 
government,  88  ;  route  to  Tibet, 
89 ;  traders  at  Leh,  90 ;  dogs, 
91 ;  route  from  Peking,  109  ;  size, 
109;  contrasted  with  China,  109, 
113;  Kalgan,  111;  Desert  of 
Gobi,  113-114;  I'rga,  114;  peo- 
ple and  customs,  114-119 

IMonsoons  described,  280-287 

Moscow  (mos'kn),  railroad  to  the 
East,  143;  cotton  from  Turkestan, 
189,  198,  199,  205  ;  goods  in  Cen- 
tral Asia,  195 

Mt.  Ararat  (ar'a  rat),  situation, 
240 

Mukilen  (mooK  den'),  trade  ccntt'r 
of  Manchuria,  134-135 

Mulberry  trees,  in  silk  region,  24; 
as  fences,  52  ;  orchards,  01  ;  in 
Japan,  397,  404.  418 

,Miirgliab(morir  iriib')  Kailroad  built 
by  Russia,  17i»-180,  193 

Musk,  from  Tibet,  95;  oblaincil 
from  deer,  97  ;  in  bazaars,  107 

Nagasaki    (na'gasa'kf)    described, 

381-382 
Nankeen  (uiln  kf'n'),made  in  China, 

20 
Nanking  (nan  king'),  industries, 2(5; 

8ituat-ion,  26 


Nazareth  (naz'a  reth),  home  of 
Jesus,  268  209 

Newchwang  (nu'chwiing'),  a  Man- 
churian  port,  127  ;  icebound, 
130 ;  appearance,  132  ;  bean  in- 
dustry, 132  ;  salt  industry,  132  ; 
fuel,  133 ;  furs  and  skins,  133- 
134  ;  railroad  connections,  139 

New  England,  silk  industry,  421 

New  Jersey,  silk  industry,  421 

New  York  City,  furs  from  Central 
Asia,  189  ;  silk  from  Japan,  390 

New  York  State,  silk  indvistry,  421 

Nineveh  (nin'^  ve),  situation,  246  ; 
ancient  glories,  247 

Nitrates  from  Chile,  75 

Nizhni  Novgorod  (nytzh'nye  nov'go- 
rot),  fairs,  166  ;  funs,  198  ;  goods 
in  Turkestan,  201 

Nomads,  of  Tibet,  90-93;  of  Tur- 
kestan, 104-105  ;  of  Mongolia, 
115;  of  Siberia,  173;  of  Balu- 
chistan, 217  ;  early  peoples,  223  ; 
village  in  Persia,  229-232,  235  ; 
Arabs,  245-246,  2()9 

( »b  (ob)  Kivci'.  water  connections. 

159,  100  ;   trip  on,  104  ;   in  bed  of 

old  ocean,  187 
Odessa    (o  des'a),    tea    route    from 

China,  ]()2  ;  oil  industry,  180 
Oil  in  Baku  region,  185-187 
Omsk    (onisk)  'described.    159-161, 

](i2 
Opium,   cultivation    in   China,   52- 

54  ;  cultivation  in  India,  52,  329- 

331 
( >saka  (o  za'ka)  descri))e(l,  409-1 10  ; 

silk  industry,  41  7 

j'acilie  Ocean,  121 

Paddy,  uidiusked  rice,  61 

I'alestine  (pill'f's  tin),  262 

Paper,  invention  of,  10 

I'arsis  (piir'scs).  in  ]n<lia,  301-303 

I'aterson     (i^lt'er sun),     N.J.,    silk 

in<luslry.  421 
i'earl    industry    In    Persian    (iulf, 

242  244 
I'earl  iilver  described,  41-42 


446 


ASIA 


Pei  (pf^)  River,  continuation  of 
Grand  Canal,  24  ;  described,  ."i^  ; 
villages  on,  82 

Peking  (pe  king'),  conniieroe,  24  ; 
on  Grand  Canal,  24  ;  meaning  of 
name,  2(5 ;  situation,  32,  44  ;  traf- 
lie  with  Tientsin,  33  ;  route  from 
Tientsin,  34-35  ;  described,  35- 
40 ;  tea  trade,  84 ;  caravans,  84- 
85  ;  route  into  Mongolia,  100-111 

Peking-HankdW  IJailmad.  27 

Pennsylvania  (pen  sTl  va'nl  a),  silk 
industry,  421 

Pepper  plantations  in  the  Malay 
Peninsula,  375 

Persia  (pur'sha),  rugs,  75,  223-  22(i ; 
237-238  ;  Russia's  interest,  127  ; 
fire  worshipers,  18(5  ;  Persian 
lamb,  197  ;  history,  212-213,  227  ; 
climate.  217;  irrigation,  217; 
I'ivers,  217  ;  route  from  Europe, 
217  ;  size,  217  ;  trade,  217,  220- 
22 1 ;  roads  and  railroads,  220, 221- 
222  ;  shrine  of  Meshed,  220 ; 
travel,  222-223,  226-227,  235- 
23S:  food,  226-227  ;  surface,  227, 
287  ;  sand  storm,  228  ;  villages, 
229  ;  houses,  220,  230,  231-232  ; 
shah,  235,  313  ;  silk,  23(5 ;  length 
of  trip,  236 ;  climate,  237  ;  no 
machinery,  237  ;  future,  230  ; 
coast,  242 

Persian  Gulf,  Russia's  interest, 
127, 178  ;  boats,  242  ;  islands,  242  ; 
size,  242  ;  pearls,  242-244 

Peter  the  Great,  Russian  ruler,  121  ; 
built  St.  Petersburg  (Petrograd), 
129 

Petrograd  (pye  tro  grat'),  icebound 
harbor,  122  ;  ultimatum  .sent  by 
Japan,  12(5 ;  building  of,  129^; 
butter  from  Siberia,  158 ;  dis- 
tance from  Vladivo.stok,  174  ; 
American  ambassador,  188 

Philadelphia  (fil  adgrfl  a),  locomo- 
tives in  Manchuria,  129 

Pigs  in  China,  65 

Plateau  of  Iran  (e  ran'),  extent,  213 

Platinum  in  the  Ural  Mountains, 
143 


Pongee  (pon  je')  silk,  made  in  Man- 
churia, 130 

Ponies  in  'riliet,  HO,  05;  in  Turke- 
stan, 10() 

Poppy  Melds  and  opium  industry, 
320"  331 

Porphyry  (poi'ti  rl)  in  tiie  Ural 
Mountains,  144 

Port  Artlnir,  Manchurian  port,  127; 
described,  120  ;  railroad  to  Har- 
bin, 174 

Portsmouth  (ports'nujth),  N.il., 
treaty  between  Russia  and, la  pan, 
126 

Prayer  flags,  in  Tibet,  050(5,  101  ; 
in  Mongolia,  114 

Prayer  wheel.s,  in  Tibet,  06 ;  in 
Mongolia,  114 

Printing,  invention,  10 

Quarries  in  Ceylon,  348 
Quetta(kwet'a),  city  in  Baluchistan, 

215-216 
(Quinine  from  Ceylon,  347  348 

Railroads,  P(d<ing-Hankow,  27  ; 
Tientsin  to  I'eking.  35  :  in  China, 
81  ;  Trans-Siberian.  122  :  through 
Manchuria,  122;  Central  .Asian, 
178  170;  Russia's  secret  I'ail- 
road,  170-180;  in  Per.sia,  217; 
(ierman  railroad  in  Turkey,  254  ; 
English  control  of  railroad  in 
westei'u  Asia,  254 ;  in  India, 
270-280,  304  ;  in  Ceylon,  343 

Rangoon  (ran  goon'),  port  of  Burma, 
352  ;  rice  pf)rt.  352,  354 ;  de- 
scribed, 354-358;  teakwood,362- 
3(53,  3()4 

Red  Sea,  route  to  India,  254  ;  route 
to  Mekka,  2(52 

Reeds,  industry  on  Yangtze  River, 
28 

Religion,  of  China,  71-72.  81  ;  of 
IMbet,  00 

Reval  (rii'val),  butter  from  Siberia, 
158 

Rhubarb  from  Tibet,  05,  07 

Rice,  .sent  to  Peking,  33  ;  bank.s 
around   fields,   52 ;   importance. 


INDEX 


447 


52  ;  industrv  in  China,  54-62,  78, 
84;  in  India,  334-385:  in  Bur- 
ma, 352-354,  361-362  ;  in  Siaui, 
370-371.  373 ;  in  Japan,  397,  404  ; 
in  Funnosa,  424 

Kice  paper,  26-27 

liiiia  (re'ga),  icebound  harbor,  122  ; 
butter  from  Siberia,  158 

Roads,  in  China,  34,  51  ;  in  Persia, 
220,221-222 

Roosevelt,  treaty  of  Russo-Japa- 
nese War,  126 

Rubber  in  Brazil  and  in  the  East, 
348,  374 

Rus^s,  in  Persia,  75,  220-221  ;  in 
Central  Asia,  196,  197,  198  ;  in 
Turkestan,  201  ;  ijrowth  of  in- 
dustry, 223-22(5,  237-238 

Russia  (riish'a).  merchants  in  Han- 
kow. 85;  tea  imports.  85  ;  interest 
in  Tibet,  101-102 ;  trade  with  Chi- 
nese Turkestan,  105  ;  trade  route 
between  China  and  Siberia,  114  ; 
bouiKiaries,pastandi)resent.l21 
123;  Trans-Siberian  Railroad. 
122;  railroad  through  Manchu- 
ria, 122,  123;  interest  in  Korea, 
123  :  interest  in  Chino-Japa- 
nese  treaty,  125;  Russo-Japanese 
War,  126.  385  ;  quest  for  ice-free 
■ports,  127;  interest  in  Manchu- 
ria, 128;  surface,  143;  niinei'al 
wealth,  143-144  ;  exiles,  144-145 ; 
emigration  to  Siberia,  146148  ; 
villages  and  dwellings,  151-153; 
dairying  in  Siberia,  157-159; 
possessions  in  Asia,  178-210; 
railroads,  178-180  ;  conunerce  in 
Central  Asia,  179,  189;  advan- 
tages in  Asia,  179;  apjiroach  to 
India,  179-180;  petroleum  indus- 
try, 185-187  ;  amount  produced, 
187;  cotton  from  Central  Asia, 
198,  199;  Afghanistan  a  buffer 
state,  215;  trade  with  Per- 
sia, 217,  221  ;  roads  in  Persia, 
220,  221  ;  interest  in  Persia, 
239 

Russian  Turkestan,  railroad,  17K; 
size,  178;  cotton  industry,  189, 


198-199  ;     scenery,     192  ;      de- 
scribed, 192-210 

Saigon  (sigon'),  port  of  French 
Indo-China,  368 

St.  Louis  contrasted  with  Canton, 
47 

St.  Petersburg.    See  Petrograd 

Sakhalin  (sa  Ka  lyen').  a  Rus.sian 
penal  colony, 145-146 ;  southern 
part,  382 

Salt  from  region  of  Caspian  Sea, 
188 

Salween  (sal  wen')  River,  floating 
lumber,  364 

Sampans  described,  16  ;  on  the 
Yangtze,  28 

Sandstorm  in  Persia,  228 

San  Francisco  compared  with  Can- 
ton, 47 

Sea  of  Galilee  (gai'Tle).  route  to 
Jerusalem,  264 

Sedan  chairs  in  Cliina.  16.  37 

Seoid  (se  ool')  described,  429  431 

Shah  (shii),  inlaid  throne,  235.  313 

Sliangliai  (sluing  ha'i),  harbor.  Hi; 
ini])ortance,  1(>  ;  size,  16;  <ild 
native  city,  16-22  ;  foreign  (luar- 
ters,  22  23 ;  situation,  23,  44  ; 
treaty  port,  85 

Shat  el  Arab  (shat  el  a  tab')  River, 
union  of  Tigris  and  Kui)hrates 
rivers,  249  ;  date  industrv.  249 

Sheep  in  Tibet,  85),  9(i 

Shop.s,  of  Shanghai,  21  ;  in  bazaars. 
107 

.Siain  (si  Jim'),  a  buffer  state,  352; 
teakwood,  364  ;  white  clrjihants, 
364  ;  ruler,  365  ;  cai)ital,  365  ; 
j)eople.  366-367,  369;  waterwavs, 
367  ;  village,  368372  ;  buffaloes, 
361K370;  rice,  370371,  373 

Siberia  (sibe'ria),  tea  caravans, 
85  ;  trade  route  from  China.  109  ; 
resources,  122  ;  Trans-Silpcrian 
Railroad,  122;  size.  143;  bounil- 
ary  stone.  144  ;  a  jprison.  144  145  ; 
immigration.  146  14H.  169;  post- 
road.  147.  169  170.  172  ;  surface, 
148;  railroad  stations,  149150; 


448 


ASIA 


villages,  151-153,  l<i5;  farm- 
ing, 158-154  ;  travel  and  traffic, 
154;  clinuite,  154;  inauniintlis, 
15() ;  rivers,  15() ;  Luiidras,  15(i; 
people,  150100;  dairying,  157- 
159;  names  ending  in  sk,  159; 
farming  machinery,  100;  traffic, 
1(51  ;  nuts,  102  ;  educational  cen- 
ter, 103  ;  transportation  routes, 
103;  waterways,  103;  three  belts, 
104;  forests,  104  100  ;  furs  and 
skins,  100-108,  172;  hunber,  108- 
109;  eastern  Siberia.  1  72  ;  Lake 
Baikal,  172  ;  tribes,  173  ;  Chinese 
settlements,  173  ;  Vladivostok, 
175;  future  development,  170 

Si  Kiang  (se'  kyiing'),  or  I'earl 
River,  41 

Silk,  origin,  10 ;  mulberry  trees, 
24  ;  in'China,  24,  48.  84  ;  impor- 
tance, 52  ;  in  bazaars,  107  ;  in 
Manchuria,  138139  ;  in  Central 
Asia,  190,  197,  205  ;  in  Tei'sia, 
218,  220;  in  Japan,  390,  404, 
408,  409  ;  history,  413-414,  419  ; 
rank  of  countries  producing,  414 ; 
silkworms,  410-417,  418-419  ; 
factories,  41 7  ;  filatures,  417,  419. 
420;  hand  n-eii ng,  420  ;  raw  silk, 
420-421  ;  mamifacturing  coun- 
tries and  cities,  421  ;  growth  of 
industry  in  Japan,  421 

Simla  (sTni'la),  summer  capital  of 
India,  308-309 

Singapore  (sin  ga  por'),  importance, 
339,  373  ;  rice,'"  373,  374  ;  tin,  373, 
37<i ;  rubber,  374 ;  distance,  from 
Japan.  381 

Skins,  from  Tibet,  95  ;  in  bazaars, 
107  ;  from  Manchuria,  133-134, 
135,  140  ;  from  Sil)eria,  154.  100- 
108,  172  ;  from  Central  Asia,  189, 
196  ;  used  for  rugs,  223 

Smyrna  (smur'na)  described,  257- 
258 

Soda  from  Mongolia,  111 

South  America,  tea  from  China, 
85 

Straits  Settlements  belong  to  Great 
Britain,  351 


Sugar,  in  China,  04  ;  in  India,  334 

Sungari  (soon  ga  re)  River,  useful- 
ness. 12  ;  in  Manchuria,  127  ; 
Harbin,  139;  tralhc,  140 

Superstitions  of  Chinese  people, 
81-83 

Sweden  (swe'den),  former  extent, 
121 

Sweet  potatoes,  food  in  China,  03 

Switzerland  (swit'zer  land),  laces 
and  endiroideries,  75 

Syria  (sir'I  a),  situation.  202  ;  vine- 
yards and  (irchards,  203 

Szechwan  (sa  chwan'),  province  of 
western  China,  31-32 

'l'abriz(ta  brez')  described,  217-218 

Taj  Mahal  (taj  jna  hiil')  described, 
310  318 

Taiini  (ta  rem')  River  in  Ciiinese 
Turkestan,  103 

Tashkend  (tash  kfint ')  described, 
207  210 

Tea,  brick,  33  ;  sent  to  Peking, 
33  ;  importance  of,  in  China,  52  ; 
area  of  production,  70,  77  ;  prep- 
aration, 70  ;  con.sumption,  70~77  ; 
d('scrii)tion  of  industry,  78-80, 
M5  ;  )is(;  in  Tibet,  92  ;  in  bazaars, 
107;  in  Manchuria.  138  ;  rontesto 
Europe,  102;  in  Irkutsk,  172  ;  in 
( 'entral  Asia,  1 79,  190, 197  ;  in  In- 
dia, 309,  333-334 ; in  Ceylon,  347 ; 
in  Siam,  309  ;  in  Japan,  389-390, 
404,  400-407  ;  in  Formosa,  424 

Tea  route  from  China,  94-95 

Teakwood,  in  Rangoon,  350  ;  in- 
dustry described,  302-304 

Telieran  (te  h'riin'),  capital  of  Per- 
sia, 217  ;  Rvi-ssian  road,  221  ;  de- 
scribed, 232-235 ;  length  of  trip  to 
Baluchistan,  230 

Texas  (tgk'sas)  compared  with  Man- 
churia. 127 

TliermopylEe  (thSr  niop'ile),  defeat 
of  Xerxe.s,  212 

Threshing  floors,  in  China,  00  ;  in 
Turkestan.  104 

Tibet  (ti  bet'),  tea.  85;  Chinese  prov- 
ince,  88  ;  size,  88  ;  height,   88  ; 


INDEX 


449 


surface,  88  ;  isolation.  89 ;  moun- 
tain passes.  89  ;  trade  and  trade 
routes,  89-90,  94,  95  ;  people,  90- 
91,  95  ;  houses,  91,  92,  95-97  ; 
food,  92-93  ;  eastern  part,  95 ; 
villages,  96-97  ;  occupations,  96- 
98;  religion,  99-100;  English 
expedition,  100,  102  ;  a  buffer 
state,  102  ;  interest  of  England, 
179 

Tien  Slian  (tl  en' sliiin')  Mountains, 
location,  103 

Tientsin  (ti  en'tsen'),  commerce, 24  ; 
location,  24,  32  ;  described,  33  ; 
trip  from,  to  Peking,  34-35 

Tiliis(tve  Ayes'),  route  from  Europe. 
181, 'l82,  186;  described,  183- 
184 

Tigris  (ti'gris)  River,  a  sail  on,  244- 
246;  traffic,  246  ;  ancient  course. 
249  ;  date  industrv,  249-250  ;  at 
Bagdad,  252 

Tin  in  southeastern  Asia,  373,  374, 
375-376 

Tobol  (to  bol'y")  River,  Tobnlsk  on, 
159 

Tobolsk  (to  bolsk'),  situation,  159 

Tokyo  (to'k^  o),  city  and  bay,  388  ; 
distance  from  Yok(jhauia,  396  ; 
size,  396,  409;  described,  398- 
403  ;  cherry  blossoms,  399  ;  silk 
industry,  404,  417  ;  the  brain  of 
Japan,  407 

Tom  River,  Tomsk  on,  163 

Tomsk  (tomsk),  situation,  162  ;  de- 
scribed, 162-163  ;  educational 
center,  163 ;  near  forest,  164 ; 
three  days'  ride  from  Irkutsk, 
170 

Trackers  on  Yangtze  River,  31 

Transcaspian  (trins  kis'pl  an)  Prov- 
ince, position,  178  ;  scenery,  192  ; 
Merv,  192-193  ;  road  into  I'ersia, 
219-220 

Transcaucasia  (-k^  ka'shi  a),  on 
route  to  Persia,  217 

Trans-Siberian  Railroad,  122,  133, 
174;  terminus.  122.  133,  174; 
Vladivostok,  122.  133,  174  ;  liar- 
bin,  139  ;  length,  143;  emigrants. 


146-147  ;  surface  of  country,  148  ; 
verstmen,  148  149 ;  stations, 
149-150,  170;  passengers,  150, 
157  ;  tow-ns  and  cities,  151  ;  vil- 
lages, 151-153;  trains  and  traf- 
fic, 157-158;  dairying,  157-159, 
connecting  routes,  160  ;  tea,  1(52  ; 
Irkutsk,  transfer  station,  170; 
difficulties  in  building,  172-173; 
through  Manchuria,  173-174 

Troika  (troi'ka),  a  Riissian  convey- 
ance, 175 

Tula  (too'lii),  samovars,  195 

Tundras,  formation,  156 

Turkestan  (Uxir  ke  stan'),  a  Chinese 
province,  88  ;  route  to  Tibet,  89  ; 
traders  at  Leh,  90  ;  importance, 
103;  population,  103;  livers,  103; 
situation,  103;  size,  103;  sui'face, 
103;  climate,  103,  104;  ])eople 
and  occupations,  103  105  ;  cities, 
105-106 

Turkey,  former  extent,   121  ;    I'ug 
industry,    223-226,    257;    condi- 
tions in   former  territory,  248 
249  ;  date  industry,  249  250 ;  peo- 
ple and  religion,  252  ;  railroads, 

254  ;  persecution  of  Ai'menians, 

255  25(5;  i\ngora  goats,  25(i  257; 
figs  and  licorice,  258 ;  journey 
to  Mekka,  202  ;  customs,  273 

Turtle  industry  in  Jajjan,  404- 
4(}5 

United  States,  rice,  61  ;  tea,  70- 
77,  407  ;  trade  with  Manciuiria, 
128,  132;  goods  in  Siberia,  162; 
oil,  18(5-187;  cotton  see(l  and 
machinery  in  Turkestan,  199 ; 
products  in  Afghanistan,  213 ; 
trade  with  Smyrna,  257  ;  ligs 
and  lic(jrice,  258  ;  sugar,  334  ; 
(|ninine,  347-348  ;  trade  with 
Jajian,  380,  410;  silk,  41(i,  421 

Iral  (n'ral)  Mountains,  raili'oail, 
143;  lieiglit,143;  mineral  wealth, 
143-144;  IxMindary  between  Kn- 
ropo  and  Asia.  144  ;  connected 
with  Omsk,  1(50;  with  Yakutsk, 
164 


450 


ASIA 


Urga  (6or'ga)  described,  114 

Vasco  da  Gania  (vas'ko  dii  ga'ma), 
voyage,  5  ;  discoveries,  G;  object, 
413 

Venice  (v6n'Is),  early  importance,  5 

Via  Dolorosa  (vi'a  dol  6  ro'sa), 
street  in  Jerusalem,  2(}(; 

Vladivostok  (via  dye  vos  tok'),  ter- 
minus of  Trans-Siberian  Kail- 
road,  122,  183,  174;  beans,  133; 
described,  174-170 

Volea  (vol'^a)  Hiver,  cotton  sliip- 
nient.  18!'> " 

Walls,  of  Chinese  cities  and  towns, 

26,  35,  3U  ;  of  Turkestan,  105 
Water  chestnut  in  Chinese  canals, 

25 
Water  population,    in    Chiiia.   41; 

in  Siani,  3G(;-367 
Water  power  from  Hwang  River, 

14 ;  in  Japan,  418 
Watermelon  seeds  eaten   by   Ciii- 

nese,  65 
Waterways,  canals  of  China,  24- 

26 ;  in  Slam  and  Burma,  367 
Wheelbarrows,    in    China,    17-18, 

58,  59,  81,  84:  in  Vladivostok,  175 
White  elephants,  364 
Wine  from  France,  75 
Wistaria  in  Japan,  400 
Wool  and  woolen  goods,  218,  220, 

256-257,  314 


Xerxes  (zflrk'sez)  the  Great,  defeat 
at  Thermopyhe,  212 

Yak,  caravans,  8i>,  '.)5  ;  kept  in 
houses,  96  ;  usefulness,  97 

Yakutsk  (ya  kwtsk'),  water  con- 
nections, 164  ;  fairs,  166 

Yalu  (ya  lob')  Kiver,  boundary  of 
Korea,  123  ;  crossed  by  Hussian.-i, 
126 

Yangtze  (yang'ts6)  Kiver, names.  1 4 , 
28;  loess,  14;  size,  15,  27;  popuhi- 
tion  of  basin,  15  ;  course,  15,  16  ; 
trip  on,  16,  23-32  ;  silk  industry. 
24  ;  canal  connections.  24  25 ; 
color,  27  ;  floods,  27  ;  Ilan  Kiver, 
a  branch  of,  27 ;  tiattic,  28  ; 
dikes,  30 ;  cities  on  banks,  30  ; 
.gorges  and  rapids,  30-31  ;  impor- 
tance, 31-32  ;  water  population, 
41-42  ;  tea  industry,  78-80.  84  ; 
route  to  Tibet,  94 

Varkand  (yiirkiind'),  size,  105 

Vcnesei  (yenese'e)  River,  trip  on, 
164 

Yezd  (yezd),  city  of  Persia,  237  ; 
wind  towers,  237 

Yezo  (y?z'o),  island  of  Japan.  382  ; 
inhabitants,  382,  384 

Yok(ihama  (yo  ko  ha'ma),  distance 
from  Singapore,  381  ;  described, 
388-392:^  tea,  389,  390;  silk, 
390  ;  ride  to  Tokyo,  396  ;  eye  of 
Japan,  407 


This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 

^m  2  7  1935 
MAY  2  0  1937 


VIAY  '2.2  1^391 
DEC  2  7  1951 


Form  L-9-15m-7,'32 


C  Ojp 


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